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^''     Frincetci?,  rT.  J. 

= 'C- OL 

BV    2520    .M6x 

Moore,  Erasmus  Darwin,  1802 

1889. 
Life  scenes  from  mission 


LIFE  SCENES 


MISSION     FIELDS 


A     BOOK     OP 


FACTS,  IKCIDENTS,  AiND  RESULTS, 


THE    MOST 


Pakrial  m\ii  ^§,mmlMt  m  glissioniup  (t^mmt, 


CONDENSED  AND  ARRANGED  FOR  POPULAR  USE, 


E.    D.    MOORE 


"WT-ITIi      -A.3Sr      I  3Sr  T  R,  O  3D  XJ  C  T  I  O  3Sr 
BT 

REV.  HUBBARD  WtXSLOW. 

'  I  will  gather  all  nations  and  tongues,  and  they  shall  come  and  see  my  glory."— Isaiah  66  :  13. 


NEW   YORK: 
PUBLISHED    BY    CHARLES    SCRIBNER. 

1  8  5  Y. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

E.    D.     MOOKE, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


StprootypC'i  by 

HOBART    ft     BOBBINS, 

New  England  Type  and  Stereotype  Foundcry, 


PREEACE. 


The  plan  of  the  following  work  was  suggested  to  the 
author  while  preparing  articles  for  the  "  Cyclopaedia  of 
Missions,"  some  two  years  since.  Striking  and  impres- 
sive passages  were  every  day  met  with,  which  were 
inappropriate  to  that  work,  and  which  it  seemed  desir- 
able should  be  brought  out  from  the  mass  of -journals 
and  books  in  which  they  lay  imbedded,  reduced  to  form, 
and  "set"  in  a  book  for  ready  and  convenient  use. 

The  design  especially  has  been  to  bring  together 
such  materials  from  the  vast  field  of  missions,  as  might 
serve  to  illustrate,  not  only  the  truth  and  value  of 
Christianity,  but  also  the  preeminence  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal system  over  all  other  forms  of  belief  and  teaching, 
as  a  regenerating  and  saving  power. 

Volumes  of  "  Evidences  "  have  been  written,  with 
the  desired  effect.  Tliis  ofiers  a  source  of  practical 
evidence,  which,  without  pretensions  to  logic  or  learn- 


IV  PREFACE. 

ing,  may  claim  the  merit  of  directness,  point,  and  con- 
clusiveness. 

In  his  preparations  for  the  pulpit,  the  pastor  often 
feels  the  need  of  a  pertinent  fact^  with  which  to  refute 
an  error,  "  pin  "  a  truth,  or  enforce  a  train  of  reason- 
ing. In  the  selection  and  arrangement  of  matter 
for  the  present  volume,  constant  reference  has  been 
had  to  this  want,  and  it  might  be  not  inaptly  termed  a 
"  hand-book  of  facts  for  ministers."  And  not  only  min- 
isters, but  all  who  have  occasion  to  inculcate  religious 
truth,  plead  the  cause  of  Christian  benevolence,  or 
combat  popular  prejudice  and  infidelity,  may  find  this 
an  armory  from  which  to  draw  their  weapons.  ' 

The  credit  of  originality  is  not  claimed,  so  much  as 
that  of  toil  and  patience.  It  has  been  a  mining  process, 
and  has  been  attended  with  the  usual  contingencies  of 
such  labor, —  some  tracts  yielding  scarcely  a  shining 
gem,  while  at  other  times  rich  veins  have  appeared  at 
every  turn.  The  work  is  regarded  as  at  least  impartial, 
the  journals  of  missionary  societies  oiall  denominations, 
in  all  fields,  having  been  carefully  examined,  and  works 
of  missionary  history,  travel,  exploration,  etc.,  exten- 
sively consulted. 

In  nearly  every  instance  the  authority  is  given,  that 
those  who  desire  it  may  consult  the  original  record. 


PREFACE.  V 

Most  of  the  articles  have  been  condensed,  often  with 
an  introductory  or  closing  remark,  while  care  has  been 
taken  to  preserve  strict  fidelity  to  facts. 

The  facilities  enjoyed  for  the  preparation  of  a  work 
of  this  nature  have  been  very  extensive ;  free  access 
having  been  given  to  the  library  of  the  American 
Board,  at  their  rooms  in  Boston;  and  also  to  the  libra- 
ries of  the  Baptist  and  other  Boards.  The  first-named 
is  the  largest  library  of  the  kind  known  to  exist  in  any 
country  ;  and  altogether  they  have  furnished  informa- 
tion as  full  and  complete  as  could  be  desired. 

It  is  not  within  the  author's  knowledge  that  any 
work  similar  to  the  present  has  ever  before  been 
attempted.  About  twenty-five  years  ago  the  London 
Tract  Society  issued  a  little  volume  of  "  Missionary 
Anecdotes,"  and  about  the  same  time  "  Holt's  Mission- 
ary Anecdotes  "  were  published  in  this  city.  But  they 
were  not  met  with  till  the  present  work  was  within  a 
week  or  two  of  its  completion ;  and  then  were  found  to 
be  so  extremely  limited  in  matter  and  design  as  to 
answer  no  important  purposes  at  the  present  day. 

An  apology  may  be  thought  due  to  a  class  of  readers 

who  fail  to  find  in  this  volume   certain  articles  which 

have  interested  their  own  minds,  and  which  they  would 

have  had  inserted.     Such  cases  were  unavoidable ;  for 

1* 


yi  PEEFACE. 

no  two  persons  in  this  field  would  make  a  book  of  pre- 
cisely the  same  materials,  though,  as  a  whole,  they 
might  be  of  equal  value. 

With  these  brief  remarks,  the  work  is  commended  to 
the  Christian  public,  and  to  the  blessing  of  the  Head  of 
the  Church,  who  accepts  even  the  feeblest  efforts  to 
advance  his  cause. 

Boston,  March  21,  185T. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  Christian  religion  is  peculiariy  and  immensely  rich 
in  historical  facts,  illustrative  of  its  divine  nature.  In  this 
respect,  as  in  all  respects,  no  other  religion  compares  with 
it.  On  this  ground  alone  it  may  fairly  challenge  the  claim 
to  its  heavenly  origin.  The  religions  of  the  Chinese,  the 
Hindoos,  the  Mohammedans,  abound  in  fictions,  fancies,  and 
absurd  pretensions  to  miraculous  agency  ;  they  make  extrav- 
agant demands  upon  the  passion  for  the  marvellous  ;  but,  in 
the  sober  and  earnest  matter  of  reclaiming  fallen  character, 
of  restoring  lost  men  to  God,  and  to  purity  of  heart  and 
life,  they  are  utterly  and  hopelessly  at  fault.  They  have, 
in  this  capital  respect,  produced  no  results  worthy  to  be 
recorded.  By  their  failure  to  yield  good  fruit,  they  are 
known  to  be  false,  just  as  Christianity,  by  its  precious  and 
abounding  fruits,  is  known  to  be  of  God. 

It  is  the  design  of  the  following  pages  to  exhibit  interest- 
ing and  instructive  specimens  of  the  fruits  of  the  Gospel,  in 
its  effects  upon  the  character  and  condition  of  men.  That 
this  design  may  be  satisfactorily  secured,  the  facts  are  taken 
from  a  great  variety  of  sources.  They  are  gathered  from 
different  periods,  covering  more  than  a  hundred  years,  and 
from  all  parts  of  the  world  where  Protestant  missionaries 
have  labored.  They  embrace,  also,  the  testimony  of  every 
branch  of  the  evangelical  church  ;  and  it  will  be  found  that, 
whether  in  one  age  or  another,  —  whether  in  a  palace  or  a 
cottage,  —  whether  amidst  polar  ice,  or  under  tropical  suns, 


VIII  INTRODUCTION. 

—  whether  amid  the  lights  and  adornments  of  science  and 
art,  or  in  regions  of  abject  ignorance,  and  savage  rude- 
ness,—  wherever  the  Gospel  takes  effect,  we  find  the  same 
essential  results.  Man  returns  to  his  forsaken  God,  and,  in 
the  knowledge  and  love  of  him,  begins  to  rise  in  all  that 
constitutes  true  excellence  and  dignity  of  character. 

The  facts  in  question  have  been  gathered  by  great  labor, 
and  arranged  in  their  proper  order,  both  to  render  them 
more  striking  and  impressive  to  the  general  reader  than 
they  usually  are  as  chronicled  in  circumstantial  detail,  and 
also  to  place  them  within  the  reach  of  Christians  and  the 
friends  of  missions,  very  few  of  whom  have  access  to  the 
numerous  journals  and  documents  from  which  they  have 
been  taken.  They  are  transferred  to  these  pages  in  an 
abbreviated  and  condensed  form,  so  that  this  work  is  not  a 
mere  compilation,  but  an  exhibition  of  historical  and  docu- 
mentary facts,  in  a  new  and  original  shape. 

It  is  believed  that  the  work  will  do  essential  service,  not 
only  as  furnishing  the  ministers  of  Christ  with  facts  to  illus- 
trate and  enforce  the  truths  which  they  teach,  and  Sab- 
bath-schools and  families  with  a  new  and  rich  treasury  of 
information  for  their  libraries,  but  as  tending  to  convince 
sceptics  and  confirm  believers,  in  respect  to  the  divine  ori- 
gin and  the  benign  eflScacy  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Gospel  has  proved,  by  what  it  has  accomplished,  that 
it  is  clothed  with  a  comprehensive  power.  The  entire  his- 
tory of  Christianity  is  replete  with  triumphs  over  obstacles 
which  none  but  a  divine  power  could  surmount.  It  is  the 
record  of  a  sublime  and  prolonged  miracle  ;  and,  what  this 
religion  has  done,  it  can  still  do.  Greater  obstacles  remain 
not,  than  it  has  already  surmounted  ;  mightier  works  are 
uncalled  for,  than  it  has  already  wrought.  Victories  no 
more  signal  than  it  has  repeatedly  won,  will  unfurl  its  tri- 
umphant banner  over  the  whole  earth.  The  argument  here 
is  to  the  effect  that  the  almighty  power  of  God  is  in  it. 
That  living  Omnipotence  which  made  the  tin-one  of  the 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

Csesars  tremble  at  the  name  of  Jesus  ;  which  prostrated  the 
marble  domes  of  heathen  temples  in  the  dust  ;  which  faced 
down  the  boasted  science  and  literature  of  the  Augustan, 
age  ;  which  overthrew  the  time-honored  dynasties  of  Jew- 
ish and  Pagan  prejudice  ;  which,  in  the  scoffer's  own  em- 
phatic words,  "  turned  the  world  upside  down,"  —  can  erect 
altars  to  the  true  God  under  the  whole  heavens.  Not  to 
believe  here,  is  to  make  all  history  false  ;  —  to  doubt  on  this 
point,  is  to  sin  against  our  own  eyes.  If  the  first  disciples 
of  Christ  could  feel  assured  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  his 
cause,  and  if  the  stubborn  incredulity  of  multitudes  of 
Jews  was  resolved  into  unwavering  fixith,  unbelief  in  us  is 
a  shameful  marvel  ;  for,  if  the  early  Christians  saw  in  the 
dawning  light  of  the  future,  we  see  in  the  blazing  light  of 
the  past. 

What  wonders  has  this  religion  wrought !  In  defiance 
of  all  the  ignorance,  prejudice,  lust,  and  sottishness,  of  man- 
kind ;  despite  the  meagre  facilities,  in  the  early  ages,  for 
circulating  thought,  and  extending  a  permanent  moral  and 
religious  influence  ;  and,  in  resistance  to  all  the  canonized 
authority  of  idol  systems,  and  the  frowning  menace  of  hos- 
tile kingdoms,  it  has  steadily  made  its  way,  enlightening, 
elevating,  disenthralling  our  race,  revolutionizing  states 
and  empires,  until  it  has  boldly  challenged,  and  has  re- 
ceived the  willing  homage  of  the  most  intelligent  portions 
of  the  whole  world. 

In  the  mean  time  science,  commerce,  art,  all  forms  of 
human  enterprise,  are  bringing  distant  members  of  the 
human  family  together.  A  valuable  truth,  elicited  by  a 
mind  here,  speedily  finds  its  way,  as  on  the  wings  of  the 
wind,  to  minds  in  remotest  lands  ;  a  benevolent  affection 
kindled  in  an  American  heart,  may  soon  make  itself  felt  by 
hearts  in  India,  Ciiina,  and  the  distant  islands  of  the  ocean. 
Indeed,  the  deep  throbbings  of  Christian  liberty,  and  the 
mighty  impulse  of  Christian  enterprise,  in  America,  are, 
at  this  moment,  prostrating  the  temples  of  pagan  idolatry, 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

and  are  even  shaking  the  Celestial  Empire  to  its  centre. 
Already  the  eye  of  hope  sees  Amei'ica  stretching  the  hand 
of"  paternal  embrace  to  lands  of  Christian  light  and  liberty 
across  the  Pacific. 

It  will  also  appear,  in  the  following  pages,  that  the  direct 
instrumentalities  of  Christianity  are  increasing,  both  in  num- 
ber and  eflFectiveness.  Bibles,  tracts,  colpoi-teurs,  mission- 
aries, are  diffusing  light,  and  many  are  praying  for  the  com- 
ing of  God's  kingdom  ;  while  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  whose 
influence  no  essential  good  is  accomplished,  is  making  the 
truth  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  those  who  receive  it. 

Finally,  in  connection  with  these  multiform  encourage- 
ments, are  the  cheeiing  voices  of  inspired  prophecy,  pro- 
claiming the  gracious  purpose  of  God,  that  all  flesh  shall 
see  his  salvation.  The  decree  of  the  Almighty  has  gone 
forth.  "  Hath  he  said  it,  and  shall  he  not  do  it  ?  "  Sound  the 
glad  tidings  over  land  and  sea  ;  let  them  roll  upward  on 
waves  of  silvery  light  to  the  highest  heavens,  and  down- 
ward on  the  dark  clouds  of  thundering  terror  to  hell ;  let 
angelic  worlds  believe  and  rejoice ;  let  the  devils,  also, 
"  believe  and  tremble."  If  even  a  comparative  heathen 
could  say,  "  Great  is  the  truth,  and  it  will  prevail,"  much 
more  may  we  say  thus  of  that  truth,  which  has  already  fur- 
nished, by  its  fruits,  such  convincing  demonstration  of  its 
heavenly  origin.  H.  W. 


CONTENTS. 


THE  HEATHEN  WITHOUT  EXCUSE. 

PAGE 

System  for  Getting  Rid  of  God, 21 

Nothing  but  a  Stone, 24 

Lesson  from  a  Heathen  Poet, *■ 24 

Idol-makers, 25 

Hindoo  Affinities  for  Truth, 25 

Cheating  the  Idol, 27 

Admission  of  Guilt, 27 

Kicking  the  Gods, 27 

Money  the  Hindoo's  God, 28 

A  Stultified  Intellect, 28 

The  Strength  of  Sin  well  Expressed, 29 

Buying  Christians, 29 

Religion  and  the  Bag  of  Money, 29 

THE    HABITATIONS    OF    CRUELTY. 

Horrible  Funeral  Sacrifices 30 

Selling  Children, 30 

♦'  Bleeding  Africa," 30 

Torturing  Human  Victims, 32 

Women  in  Africa, 32 

Awful  Superstition, 33 

Head  for  Head, 34 

Chinese  Cruelty  —  Making  Little  Feet, 34 

Without  Natural  Affection, 35 

Sacrifices  to  Juggernaut, 36 

Woman  in  India, 36 

Retribution, 37 

Character  of  the  Gonds, 38 


NATIVE  INTELLECT,  CAPACITY,  WIT,  ETC. 

Heathen  do  Think, 39 

Eagerness  in  Learning  to  Read, 40 

A  Model  Preacher, 41 

A  Touching  Appeal, 41 


XII  CONTENTS. 

The  Blind  Boy  and  the  Bible, 42 

A  Heathen  Child's  Retort 42 

Native  Eloquence 42 

Not  Ashamed, 43 

Remarkable  Familiarity  with  the  Scriptures, 43 

An  African's  Argument, 41 

As  a  Cake  of  Sugar, 44 

Saying  of  an  Ai-menian, 45 

The  Thatched  Head, 45 

Native  Shrewdness, 45 

The  Little  Teacher, 46 

Early  Proficiency, 46 

Native  Talent  Tested, 47 

An  Original  Interpretation, 47 

Dead  Branches, 48 

Learning  under  Discouragements, 48 

Defence  of  Heathenism 48 

Comparison, 49 

An  African's  Question, 49 

Wine-Drinking  in  Eastern  Metaphor, 49 

No  Good  Will  to  the  Fishes, 49 

Doing  Appropriate  Work, 50 

A  Hindoo's  Idea  of  Religion, 50 

Hot  Hearts, 50 

The  Nestorian  Child's  Heart, 51 

Reproof — Native  Good  Sense, 52 

The  Indian  Mother's  Lament, 58 

African  Eloquence, 54 

DOGMAS,  CAVILS,  OBJECTIONS,  ETC. 

A  Hindoo  Dogma  Refuted, 56 

A  Hindoo  Caviler  Silenced, 60 

Let  us  Alone, 60 

Nothing  to  do  with  Morals, 61 

Throwing  Back  the  Blame, 61 

Hindoo  Objections  to  Christianity, 61 

Sure  of  Some  Religion, 63 

Theological  Discovery  of  a  Heathen  Sage 64 

On  AU'Sides 64 

SCRIPTURE   TRUTH  — ITS   MANY  OPERATIONS. 

The  Work  of  One  Tract, 65 

The  Tongue  Loosed, 66 

The  True  Teacher, 67 

The  Blind  Old  Man, 67 

A  Leaf  of  Scripture  for  Wadding, 68 

Definition  of  the  Bible 69 

The  Gospel  Without  the  Civil  Power 70 

Invisible  Fruits, 70 

The  "Stop-Off," 71 

A  Docile  Spirit 71 


CONTENTS.  XIII 

Faith  without  Hearing,      72 

Wayside  Pickings, 73 

Truth  without  a  Preacher, 74 

What  shall  wc  Do? 76 

A  Vow  of  Silence, 76 

"What  shall  it  Profit? 77 

The  Garment  of  Self-Righteousness, 77 

THE   LION   CHANGED   TO   A  LAMB. 

The  Terror  of  the  Country, 78 

The  Hottentot  Subdued, 80 

A  Noted  Chief  and  Mui-derer, 80 

A  Miracle  of  Grace, 82 

Trying  the  Experiment, 83 

Grief  tor  Murdered  Children, 84 

The  Murderer  of  Williams, 86 

THE   MARTYR  SPIRIT  OF  NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

Household  Foes,      88 

Not  Peace,  but  a  Sword, 88 

The  Martyrs  of  Madagascar, 89 

A  Modern  Daniel, 91 

The  Nine  Faithful  Witnesses, 91 

Christian  Heroism, 92 

"It  is  All  Well," 93 

"  Not  Accepting  Deliverance," 93 

The  Only  Son  of  the  Queen 94 

Done  with  the  Devil, 94 

"I  Must  Pray," 95 

Indians  Becoming  Martyrs, 95 

Converts  Multiplied  under  Persecution, 97 

The  Karen  Pastor,  Thaghe, 98 

Asaad  Shidiak, 100 

EXAMPLES   OP   PIETY  AND   BENEVOLENCE. 

The  CafFre  Woman's  Testimony, 105 

AGreat  Feast— Noble  Example, 106 

Umgiko's  Decision, 107 

The  Little  Girl's  Offering, 108 

He  hath  Done  what  he  Could, 108 

Energy  as  Good  as  Money, 108 

AVeak  Things  to  Confound  the  Wise, lO'J 

Love  of  God's  House, 110 

A  Good  Deacon, 110 

Liberality  of  a  Poor  Blind  Girl, Ill 

The  Converted  Chief  and  his  Wives, 112 

A  Stray  Sheep  in  the  Jungles, 113 

The  Indian  Chief  and  the  Missionaries, 114 

Extraordinary  Efforts  to  Hear  the  Word, 116 

Konai  Das,  a  jModel  Christian, 117 

All  that  he  Had, 119 

The  New  Zealander  and  the  Bible, 119 

2 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

Efforts  to  Obtain  a  Bible, 119 

Missionary  Harmony  —  Its  Influence, 120 

SINCERITY   AND   FIRMNESS   OF   CONVERTS. 

Reality  of  Hindoo  Convei'sions, 121 

Conversion  of  Ei-ebon, 122 

Thirteen  Years  in  Chains, 122 

Grace  Triumphant, 123 

Death  Better  than  Denying  Christ,      124 

Lukhein-Das, 125 

More  than  Meat  and  Drink, 128 

How  to  Reason  under  Temptation, 128 

The  Bribe  Rejected, 129 

Not  Mad, 130 

Power  of  a  Consistent  Example, 130 

God  or  Mammon  —  A  Hindoo's  Choice, 131 

Forsaking  All, 132 

The  Poor  Armenian  and  his  Bible, 132 

A  Gospel  Hero, 133 

The  Cattre  Woman's  Religion, 134 

The  Disciple  in  India, 135 

A  Christian  Heroine,      135 

Myat  Kyau,  the  Burman, 136 

Psalm-singing  Against  Persecution, 139 

HEATHEN  WITHOUT  IDOLATRY. 

No  God, 141 

The  Infidel's  Ideal  Man, 142 

The  Karens, 143 

DOCTRINE   OF  THE   CROSS   PREEMINENT. 

Prayer  of  a  Converted  Hindoo, 144 

The  African's  Remedy, 145 

An  Indian's  Offering, 146 

A  Devotee  Leaving  All, 146 

The  Four  Kings, 147 

Wanting  to  Confess, 148 

«' The  God  of  my  Child," 149 

Christ  more  than  Krishna, 149 

But  One  Way 150 

Important  Testimony, 150 

Experience  of  the  Moravians, 151 

A  Noble  Defence, 152 

"  Did  Doorga  Die  for  Sinners  ?  " 153 

"  Two  Words  Overcome," 154 

A  Good  Resolve, 155 

"  Is  all  this  True  ?  " 155 

Tschoop,  the  Indian, 155 

"Just  what  I  had  been  Seeking  for," 157 

Dr.  Duff's  Method, 158 

"Tell  me  that  Again," 159 


CONTENTS.  XV 

A  Labrador  Convert,      159 

The  Oftence  of  the  Cross, 160 

A  Cause  of  AVeeping, IGl 

The  Remedy  Found, IGl 

Turning  from  Mary  to  Christ, 162 

Why  Christ  is  an  USence, 164 

The  True  Teacher, 165 

Not  Mohammed,  but  Christ, 165 

The  Converted  Caffre, 165 

THE    NEW    HEART  — ITS    ONE    TYPE    IN    MANY 
FORMS   AND   DIALECTS. 

The  Two  Hearts 168 

Native  Churclies  at  Work, 169 

The  Converted  Negro  and  his  Fiddle, 170 

Another  Tongue, 171 

The  Will, 171 

The  Negro's  Testimony  for  Christ, 172 

The  New  Creature, 172 

Give  when  Moved  to  it,      173 

God's  Work  must  be  Done, 173 

The  Armenian  Converts, 174 

Faith  and  Joy  of  the  Hindoo  Convert, 175 

AVe  have  got  the  Root, 176 

Decision  in  a  Little  Girl, 177 

Nicodemus  and  the  Great  Wheel, 177 

The  Law  in  the  Members, 177 

Similes  en  the  Love  of  God, 178 

An  Instructive  Experience, 179 

A  Testament  Better  than  a  House, 180 

Redeemed  out  of  Every  Land, 180 

Fidelity  in  Prayer, 180 

Piety  in  the  Negro  Dialect, 181 

A  New  Name,      182 

A  Sleeping  Friend,      182 

Heart  Utterances, 182 

A  Noble  Answer, 183 

Religious  Experience  in  New  Zealand, 184 

The  Devil's  Flag, 188 

The  Two  Africans, 189 

Views  Respecting  the  Dead, 189 

A  South  Sea  Island  Witness, 190 

No  Fighting  over  the  Bible 190 

African  Simplicitj', 191 

The  Indian  Convert  and  the  Sabbath, 191 

"When  I  would  do  Good,"  etc., 192 

Preciousness  of  the  Bible, 192 

An  Armenian's  Idea  of  Sincerity, 193 

The  Little  Girl  and  the  Sabbath, 193 

The  New  Commandment  Illustrated, 193 

The  Christian  Indian's  Wish, 194 

Singular  Proof  of  Declension, 194 

Denominational  Distinctions  Lost, 194 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

A   RELIGION   OF   INTEGRITY  AND   HONOR. 

Too  Honest  for  liis  Business 106 

Honesty  in  New  Zealand, 1'.I7 

Truth  and  Honor  before  Office, I'.i8 

Missions  and  Crime, I'J'J 

The  Girls  that  would  not  Lie, I'.l'.) 

The  Priest  and  his  Little  Boy, 200 

Religion  iu  Rurutu, 200 

Integrity  of  the  Zulus, 200 

NATIVE   DEATH-BED    SCENES. 

The  Dying  Indian  Boy, 202 

The  Last  Hours  of  a  Hindoo, 203 

The  Choctaw  Widow, 204 

Eliza.  — A  Sore  Conflict, 204 

Ann  Waiapu, 206 

TAXES  IMPOSED  BY  IDOLATRY. 

Expenses  of  Buddhism, 208 

Costly  Temples, 209 

Enormous  Burden, 210 

Heathen  Liberality, 210 

Quarter  of  a  Million  for  a  Temple, 210 

Fifty  Bags  of  Money, 210 

No  Worship  without  Money, 211 

The  Craft  in  Danger, 211 

Cheerful  Givers, 212 

Zeal  for  Juggernaut, 212 

The  Idol's  Portion, 213 

AVilling  Offerings, 213 

The  Sick  God,      214 

Advertisement  of  an  Idol-manufaoturer, 214 

SURPRISING   RESULTS. 

What  the  Missionaries  have  Done, 216 

Memories  of  a  South  Sea  Islander, 216 

The  Change  in  Eimeo, 217 

The  Gospel  in  a  Dark  Field,      218 

A  Sudden  Revolution, 220 

What  Christian  Energy  can  Accomplish, 220 

The  Islands  Rejoicing 221 

An  Impartial  Gospel, 221 

Witnesses  for  Missions , 222 

Burning  Idol-Houses, 228 

A  Contrast,      223 

A  Revival  Scene, 224 

Polygamy  Yielding  to  Christianity, 224 

Christianity  vs.  Intidelity, 225 

The  Sandwich  Islands.  —  A  Contrast, 225 

Wonderful  Results  in  New  Zealand, 227 

Changes  in  Thirty  Years, 227 

South  Africa  Ten  Years  Ago, 228 


CONTENTS.  XVII 

A  Nation  Regenerated, 229 

Dr.  Livingston  and  Africa 229 

CHARACTER  OF  PAPAL  MISSIONS. 

Claiming  Other  Men's  Label's, 231 

Ministers  of  Wickedness, 232 

Mutilating  the  Word, 233 

Killing  Heretics, 233 

Leaves  the  Heathen  as  it  Found  Them, 233 

Encouraging  Vice, 234 

The  Bishop  and  the  Native, 234 

Heathenish  Priests, 2o5 

A  Crazy  Protestant, 236 

How  Papists  Educate, 237 

Catholic  Argument, 237 

Francis  Xavier's  Bible, 237 

Jesuit  Opposition, 238 

No  Translations, 238 

Catholic  Weapons,      238 

Popish  Missionaries  and  Castes, 239 

Rage  Against  the  New  Testament, 239 

Bible-Burning, 239 

Catholics  and  Schools, 239 

The  Jesuit  and  the  Cuttle-Fish, 240 

Thirty-Two  Popish  Emissaries  at  Fernando  Po, 241 

THE  GOSPEL  A   BLESSING   PRESENT   AND 
TEMPORAL. 

"  Good  Will  to  Men," 242 

A  Blessed  Freedom, 243 

Spiritual  Weapons  Mighty, 244 

The  Indian  and  the  Sabbath, 244 

The  Whale-Ship  and  the  Cannibals, 245 

Bless  Them  that  Curse, 247 

The  Poor  Man  and  his  Tree, 247 

Christianity  and  Government, 248 

A  Sailor's  Opinion  of  IMissions, 249 

House  of  Worship  in  Tahiti, 249 

How  to  Return  a  Blow, 250 

Anti  Human  Sacrifice  Society, 250 

Something  to  do  with  the  Law  of  God, 250 

They  shall  Learn  War  no  More, 251 

Missionaries  between  Hostile  Armies, 252 

Dr.  Philip's  Testimony, 253 

Influence  of  a  Religion  of  Mercy, 253 

Christianity  and  Slaveiy, 255 

AVorship  and  Arms, 255 

Sons  of  the  Word  —  A  Surprise, 256 

What  the  Missionaries  Do, 258 

Protection  to  Life  and  Property, 258 

A  New  Zealand  Scene, 260 

Missions  and  Commerce, 260 

The  Wrecked  Sailors  and  the  Cannibals, 202 

2* 


XVIII  CONTENTS. 

They  shall  Learn  War  no  More, 26S 

Dr.  Kane's  Testimony, 264 

Geographical  Discovery, 264 

Wrecked  Sailors  and  the  Esquimaux, 266 

Rights  of  Conscience  in  India, 267 

ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 

"  Their  Foot  shall  Slide  in  due  Time," 269 

The  Receipt  of  Custom, 270 

"  Cursed  be  the  Man,"  etc., 270 

Return  of  the  Stork, 271 

Telling  the  Flocks, 271 

Skins  of  Wine, 272 

Washing  Ilauds, 272 

Olive  Grafting, 272 

Cast  thy  Bread  upon  the  Waters, 272 

TreadiDg  Out  the  Corn, 273 

The  Camel's  Furniture, 273 

Shibboleth, 273 

Behold  it  was  Leah, 273 

A  Lodge  in  a  Garden, 274 

The  Corruptible  Crown, 275 

The  Boar  out  of  the  Wood, 275 

Pricks  in  your  Eyes, 275 

Praying  in  the  Corners  of  the  Streets, 276 

The  Barley  Harvest, 276 

Camping  of  Locusts, 276 

Letting  a  Bed  through  the  Roof, 277 

A  Roll  of  a  Book, 277 

Mode  of  Salutation, 278 

Tiie  Sheep  hear  his  Voice, 278 

Serpent-Charming, 279 

Bolster  and  Cruise  of  Water, 279 

Eating  Together, 279 

A  Lodging-Place  in  the  Wilderness, 280 

A  Sheep  in  Court, 280 

The  Ox-Goad, 281 

Great  is  Diana, ^81 

BREAD   UPON  THE  WATERS. 

Seed  Sown  in  Tahiti, 283 

Dr.  Judson's  Faith, 284 

The  Twenty  Pounds, 284 

The  Moravians  at  the  Cape, 286 

Seed  Buried  Twenty  Years, 286 

Fiuits  of  One  Gift, 286 

Sovereignty  of  Grace, 287 

The  Profits  of  Giving, 287 

Mr.  Sehauffler  and  his  Books, 288 

A  Hidden  Gem  Discovered, 288 

The  Chinese  Convicts, 290 

Seed-Time  and  Harvest, 291 

God's  Hand  in  the  South  Sea  Islands  , 291 


CONTENTS.  XIX 

A  Series  of  Fruits 293 

Unlooked-for  Testimony, 294 

Remnants  of  Brainard's  Flock, 294 

Food  for  Faith, 295 

Sowing  and  Reaping, 295 

Half  a  Century's  Labor  in  India 296 

Twenty  Years  in  Armenia, 297 

MYTHOLOGIES,  MAXIMS,  PROVERBS,  SAYINGS, 
ETC. 

Hindoo  Science, 299 

Hindoo  History  ( f  the  Creation, 300 

A  Persian  Simile, 300 

Wisdom  of  the  Malays, 300 

The  Dyak  Religion, 302 

A  Heathen's  Idea  of  Fate, 303 

South  Sea  Island  Similes, 303 

Mussulman  Faith, 304 

The  New  Zealanders'  Ideas  of  the  Evil  Spirit, 304 

IMice  in  the  Moon, 305 

Peculiar  Devil, 305 

Ideas  of  the  Devil, 305 

Hindoo  Theology, 306 

Chinese  Sayings, 306 

Angry  Saints, 306 

Theory  of  the  Tides, 307 

Proverbs, 307 

"  Honest  as  a  Protestant," 308 

The  Cural, 309 

DYING  TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

Dr.  Wilson, 311 

Mrs.  Walker, 312 

Rev.  Mr.  Dibble, 312 

Rev.  Charles  Lacey, 313 

Mrs.  Bushnell, 315 

Mrs.  Todd, 316 

Rev.  .James  Richards, • 316 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter, 317 

Dr.  William  Carey, 318 

Mrs.  AVolcott, 319 

Rev.  G.  Turnbull, 319 

Mrs.  Burgess,      320 

Mrs.  Grant, 321 

Rev.  Mr.  Lawson, 321 

Mrs.  Scudder, 323 

Mrs.  Paris 323 

Mrs.  Castle, 325 

Rev.  H.  M.  Adams, 320 

Rev.  Samuel  Whitney, 328 

Re\».  J.  S.Everett, 328 

Mrs.  Henrietta  A.  L.  Hamlin, 330 

Mrs.  Mary  W.  AVinslow 331 

l>r.  Judson, 332 


XX  CONTENTS. 

MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS   AND   NARRATIVES. 

A  Question  for  Christians, 834 

Facts  for  the  Friends  of  Missions, 334 

A  Family  of  Missionaries, ,  335 

Prayer  always  Answered, 335 

Christians  Instructed  by  a  Heathen, 336 

Training  Children  for  the  Missionary  Work 336 

New  Zealimd  Taste  in  Dress, 837 

An  Indian  Chiefs  Conclusion, 838 

A  Puzzling  Question, 338 

"  Anything  to  Distract  the  Brain," 338 

Origin  of  the  English  Baptist  Missionary  Society 338 

The  Self-Denial  Box, 339 

A  Subtle  Question, 339 

Swearers  Reproved, 340 

Beginning  of  the  Moravians, 340 

*' Order  of  the  Grain  of  Mustard-Seed," 341 

The  Testament  and  the  Dog, 341 

A  Singular  Moral  Philosophy,      342 

A  Praying  Machine, 342 

Thinking  about  the  Sheep 343 

Good  out  of  Evil, 343 

The  Wonders  of  a  Chip, 344 

A  Liar's  Defence, 845 

Truth  Taught  by  an  Oath, 345 

Opium  and  Missions, 346 

A  Night  in  Prison, 346 

When  to  Repent, 347 

A  Persecutor  Awakened, 847 

A  Persecutor  Serving  the  Church, 348 

Giving  and  Feeling, 348 

An  Extraordinary  Man, 348 

An  Offering  to  Swamy, 349 

Make  Haste, 350 

A  Penitent  as  good  as  Dead, 850 

Origin  of  Monthly  Concert, 351 

A  Question  of  Conscience, 351 

Infants  Taught  Idolatry, 351 

Ability  and  Disposition, 352 

Where  Last  of  All, 352 

The  Devil  and  Rum, 353 

Admonition  to  the  Church, 353 

The  Caffre  and  the  Bishop, 353 

The  Hearer  with  his  Basket  of  Idols, 354 

An  Ancient  New  Testament, 3"4 

A  Sharp  Reproof, 355 

The  Gold  Mine  of  India, 355 

An  Unselfish  Religion, 356 

Sad  Memorial, 356 

Conservatism  of  a  Zulu 357 

A  Pleasing  Testimony, 357 

A  Christian's  Retort, *358 


"'^  PUXHGSTOIT 


\tiisologioal 


THE  HEATHEN  WITHOUT  EXCUSE. 


The  plea  is  often  heard,  in  one  form  or  another,  even  in 
this  day  of  augmented  light,  that  the  heathen,  being  with- 
out a  revelation,  cannot  be  justly  held  responsible  for  the 
abominations  of  their  faith  and  worship.  The  plea  assumes 
that  they  live  up  to  the  light  they  have,  which  is  entirely 
false.  Facts  clearly  show,  what  an  apostle  long  since 
affimied,  that  the  heathen  do  not  follow  the  light  which 
shines-upon  their  path ;  do  not  observe  the  law  written  on 
their  hearts  ;  do  not,  as  they  might,  cultivate  and  retain 
the  knowledge  of  God,  nor  glorify  him  as  they  ought.  They 
indicate  enough  of  intelligence,  moral  sense,  and  perception 
of  truth,  to  bring  them  fairly  within  the  range  of  the  divine 
government ;  and  there  appears  to  be  no  escape  from  the 
conclusion  that,  however  their  guilt  may  be  modified,  they 
are  actually  perishing^  in  a  course  of  deliberate  transgres- 
sion. The  few  pages  given  under  this  head  will  serve  to 
show  that  the  position  in  question  is  not  one  of  mere  spec- 
ulation or  opinion. 

SYSTEM   FOR    GETTING   BID    OF    GOD. 

The  statements  below  serve  to  establish  the  facts,  that  the 
heathen  have  a  conscience ;  that  idolatry  results  from  an 
atheistic  heart;  and  that  its  devotees  are  guilty  for  not  glo- 
rifying a  God  whom,  to  some  extent,  they  know  and  con- 
fess. Particularly  is  this  true  of  the  Hindoos.  The  extracts 
here  given  are  from  Clarkson's  "India  and  the  Gospel,"  a 
work  the  result  of  large  missionary  experience,  and  one  of 


22  THE    HEATHEN    WITHOUT    EXCUSE. 

the  most  learned  and  discriminating,  on  this  subject,  any- 
where to  be  found.     The  author  says  : 

"  Morally,  liindooism  may  be  considered  as  a  grand  effort 
of  the  human  mind,  on  an  unparalleled  scale,  to  work  out 
some  great  result.  It  is  imporlant  to  understand  what  tliat 
effort  is,  and  ivliat  results  it  contemplates.  We  ask,  then,  is 
Hindooism  an  effort  of  man  to  find  out  God  ?  or  is  it  an 
effort  to  separate  himself  from  him  ?  Some  have  considered 
this  religion  as  indicative  of  earnest  desires  on  the  part  of 
its  disciples  to  know  the  true  God.  *  *  This  view  is  not 
scriptural,  Hindooism  is  not  the  effort  of  the  soul  to  seek 
after  God,  but  a  struggle  to  keep  aloof  from  him.  Hindoo- 
ism illustrates  not  the  tendency  of  man  toicards  God,  but  his 
tendency  from  him.  It  is  not  the  embodiment  of  known 
truths,  but  the  suppression  of  them.  The  Hindoos  do  not 
seek  God,  '  if  haply  they  may  find  him  ; '  they  rather  stum- 
ble at  noonday  as  in  the  night.  *  *  Hindooism  owes  its 
origin,  not  to  ignorance,  not  to  the  weakness  of  unaided 
reason,  not  to  the  intellectual  difficulties  which  attend  on 
things  and  beings  beyond  the  range  of  sense  ;  but  to  an  un- 
godly heart  —  a  heart  that  longs  to  be  without  God,  and  that 
hales  God.  In  its  renewed  attempts  to  avoid  conviction  of 
the  truth,  —  in  its  wilful  rejection  of  it  when  it  has  been  un- 
derstood, —  in  its  bold  eflbrts  to  justify  known  errors,  and 
to  confute  known  truths,  —  in  its  eagerness  to  embrace  solu- 
tions and  theories  which  shall  conduct  it  away  from  the 
eternal  truth,  and  its  reluctance  to  be  conducted  toioards  it, 
■ —  in  its  complacency  in  all  that  excludes  a  true  Divinity, 
and  in  its  dislike  of  all  that  embraces  it,  —  we  find  accumu- 
lated evidence  of  the  statement,  that  Hindooism,  in  all  its 
countless  forms,  is  a  departure  from  the  living  God.  *  *  The 
systems  of  metaphysical  Brahmins,  and  the  spontaneous 
speculations  of  the  unlettered  people,  have  one  converging 
point  —  the  denying  of  God  the  Creator." 

The  learned  author  proceeds  to  inquire  what  Hindoos 
really  think  —  what  are  ihe'w  deliberate  judgments ;  and  he 
maintains  that  they  possess  moral  and  religious  convictions 
and  elements  of  truth  which,  though  not  registered,  nor 
2:)7-opounded  by  authority,  arc  inscribed  on  the  heart,  and 
prevalent  amongst  all  the  several  grades  of  society.  These 
convictions,  Ik;  says,  latent,  or  partially  developed,  have 
modified  the  Hindoo's  language,  so  that  "he  speaks  of  God 
as  possessed  of  a  unity,  which  certainly  finds  no  counterpart 
in  his  systems  of  religion.     His  several  forms  of  speech 


SYSTEM   FOR   GETTING    RID    OP   GOD.  23 

and  inadvertent  references,  on  unrestrained  occasions,  when 
he  has  no  system  to  defend,  show  that  he  has  conceptions 
of  one  God.  He  speaks  of  him  as  a  creator,  and  supporter, 
and  ruler  ;  as  willing,  and  controlling,  and  ordaining.  Ho 
chiims  him  as  a  witness  of  his  integrity.  He  speaks  of  him- 
self and  others  as  amenable  to  his  authority."  The  learned 
and  acute  missionary  author  from  whom  we  quote,  shows 
that  the  Hindoos  frequently  endeavor  to  prove,  by  sundry 
illusti'ations,  that  they  worship  only  one  God.  When 
charged  with  evil,  they  prove  that  evil  to  be  good,  and  thus 
they  show  that  they  have  conceptions  of  truth  and  right- 
eousness, far  transcending  the  forms  of  faith  and  practice 
current  among  them  ;  and  they  afford  the  strongest  evidence 
that  the  light  of  primeval  ages  has  not  been  extinguished 
within  them  —  that  the  original  perceptions  of  the  human 
mind  have  not  been  wholly  obscured.  Mr.  Clarkson  says  : 
"  These  traditional  elements  have  preserved  India  from  de- 
struction ;  they  have  raised  barriers  to  the  destructive  ten- 
dencies of  their  mythology ;  they  have  proved  the  salt 
which  has  kept  society  from  becoming  a  corrupt  mass. 
These  moral  convictions  have  prevented  the  utter  corruption 
of  the  whole  mass  of  mind,  and  the  utter  confounding  of  all 
moral  distinctions,  which  would  certainly  have  ensued  had 
the  religion  of  the  Brahmins  exercised  an  unrestrained  con- 
trol." On  account  of  these  moral  barriers,  "  India  is  yet 
a  civilized  country,  with  towns  and  villages,  with  domestic 
and  social  circles  and  relationships.  It  is  from  no  other 
reason,  than  that  God  has  not  allowed  to  pass  from  its 
people  those  fundamental  principles  of  knowledge  requisite 
to  the  very  sustentation  of  society.  God  has  not  left  him- 
self without  witness  in  the  operations  of  nature  ;  neither 
has  he  left  the  eternal  principles  of  moral  truth  without 
their  testimony  in  the  heart  of  man."  But  it  is  an  admitted 
and  appalling  fact,  after  all,  that  the  convictions  of  the 
Hindoo  are  obscured,  and  to  a  great  extent  wholly  inopera- 
tive ;  that  he  is  blinded  by  a  corrupt  system  of  metaphysics 
and  mythology;  that  his  God  comes  at  last  to  be  every- 
lliing,  and  everything  is  God;  that  he  is  a  Pantheist;  and 
that  Pantheism  denies  all  moral  distinctions.  "  In  one  of 
the  most  sacred  cities  of  India,"  says  Mr.  C,  "  an  assembly 
was  convened  to  witness  a  public  discussion  between  learned 
Brahmins  and  two  missionaries.  The  upholders  of  Ilindoo- 
ism  put  forth  their  most  valiant  champions.  The  missionary 
asked,  '  How  can  sin  be  removed  ? '     The  answer  which  the 


24  THE   HEATHEN   WITHOUT   EXCUSE, 

concentrated  wisdom  of  ages,  speaking  in  their  Brahminical 
representative,  put  forth,  was,  '  Are  not  good  and  evil  the 
same  thing  ? '  "  The  Pantheism  of  the  Hindoos  "  refers  all 
evil  to  the  Deity.  It  says  God  is  the  only  being  —  the  only 
agent,  and  therefore  sin  is  his  product.  What  we  call  evil, 
or  sin,  is  only  one  development  of  the  Deity.  Whatever 
evil  man  does  is  divine  evil ;  whatever  guilt  attaches  to 
him  is  divine  ;  whatever  his  past  career  of  crime,  it  is  that 
of  God.  Purity  and  impurity,  chastity  and  uncleanness, 
truth  and  falsehood,  love  and  hatred,  piety  and  cruelty,  the 
benevolence  of  an  angel,  and  the  malevolence  of  a  fiend, 
flow  from  one  common  source,  the  Divinity." 

These  remarks  of  an  experienced  missionary  have  been 
quoted,  as  showing  that  the  heathens  of  India  have  some 
elementary  ideas  of  God,  some  natural  sense  of  right  and 
wrong,  some  conscience,  and  that  their  idolatry  is  against 
knowledge,  against  conscience,  and  therefore  a  source  of 
guilt  and  of  just  condemnation. 

NOTHING   BUT   A  STONE. 

A  Baptist  missionary  in  India  said  to  some  parties,  who 
were  going  to  worship  their  great  god  Narayam,  "  Is  this 
IVarayam,  that  you  are  going  to  see,  a  male  or  a  female  ?  " — 
"  0,  he  is  both."  —  "  Is  he  married  ?  "  —  "  No."  —  "  Then  of 
course  he  has  no  posterity."  —  "  0,  yes  ;  the  world  is  his 
family."  —  "  What  trade  is  he  ?  is  he  wealthy  or  poor  ?  does 
lie  live  in  the  plain  or  in  the  mountain  ?  is  he  an  Oriya,  or 
Teligoo,  or  Mahratta  ?  what  caste  is  he  ?  what  language 
does  he  speak  ?  "  Amused  by  my  interrogations,  they 
burst  into  a  laugh,  saying,  "Why,  sahib,  do  you  ask  us 
such  questions?  You  know,  and  we  knoAv,  too,  that  the 
god  is  naught  but  a  stone."  —  Gen.  Bap.  Repos.,  1850, 
p.  478. 

LESSON  FBOM   A   HEATHEN   POET. 

As  Rev.  Mr.  Bailey,  Baptist  missionary  in  India,  was  out 
on  one  of  his  circuits,  he  met  some  pilgrims,  and  asked 
them  where  they  were  going.  They  said,  "  Going  to  get  a 
sight  of  the  great  Singa  Rajah."  Mr.  B.  remonstrated 
against  such  folly,  saying,  "  You  know  that  Singa  Rajah  is 
nothing  but  stone  —  a  shapeless  thing.  Can  a  stone  see, 
and  hear,  and  feel  ?  It  is  Avrittcn  in  your  own  Bhagabot, 
'  Come  what  may,  never  receive  the  instructions  of  Singa 
Rajah.'     And  another  of  your  own  poets  has  said,  '  If  pur- 


HINDOO    AFFINITIES    FOU    TRUTH.  25 

sued  by  a  tiger,  betlei-  be  devoured  by  it  than  tale  refuge  in  a 
temjjle  of  Singa  liajah.'  "  A  striking  similarity  will  be 
noticed  between  this  sentiment  of  a  heathen  poet,  and  that 
of  Christ,  "Fear  not  them  that  kill  the  body,"  etc.  The 
Hindoo  poet,  even,  rebukes  the  temporizing  policy  that 
chooses  the  least  of  two  sins,  rather  than  prefer  death  to 
either. 

IDOL-MAKERS. 

In  points  where  their  worldly  interest  is  concerned,  the 
Chinese  are  an  intelligent  people,  displaying  much  ingenuity 
in  various  ways.  Their  darkness  on  all  spiritual  subjects  is 
the  more  pali:)able  hy  the  contrast.  The  idol-maker,  with 
the  license  of  the  mandarins,  pursues  his  vocation.  His 
shop  is  filled  with  idols  of  every  pattern  and  quality,  and  at 
various  prices ;  and  the  Chinese  literati,  as  well  as  the 
laborers  and  handicraftsmen,  frequent  the  golden  Budha 
shop  to  purchase  a  god.  "Professing  themselves  to  be 
wise,  they  have  become  fools."  —  Ghh.  Hiss.  Gleaner, 
1853,  p.  42. 

HINDOO  AFFINITIES   FOE,    TRUTH. 

There  is  a  large  class  of  floating  popular  sentiments  in 
India  which  contain  much  truth.  These  are  embodied  in 
proverbs,  or  clothed  in  poetry,  and  are  familiar  to  every 
Hindoo.  They  harmonize,  in  a  striking  degree,  with  the 
principles  of  the  Gospel.  Some  of  them  are  of  known,  and 
others  of  unknown  origin.  Some  are  local,  and  others  uni- 
versal. There  are  also  certain  states  of  mind  among  the 
people,  and  certain  undefined  expectations,  of  which  the 
evangelist  may  take  advantage.  To  illustrate  ;  there  are 
general  impressions  of  the  necessity  to  man  of  a  "  True 
Teacher,"  a  "  Mediator,"  a  "Help,"  "  one  who  will  take 
sin  and  impart  merit."  It  is  commonly  said,  "Adherence 
to  a  True  Teacher  will  save."  "  The  disciple  will  have  im- 
puted to  him  the  merit  of  the  Teacher."  "  No  one  can 
save  himself"  Hence,  in  setting  forth  Christ,  as  a  Teacher, 
Mediator,  and  Saviour,  the  missionary  propounds  no  new 
idea.  The  ignorant  and  the  learned  use  alike  the  proverb, 
"  Without  a  True  Teacher,  man  cannot  attain  salvation." 
Such  expressions  as  the  following  are  common  : — "  As  with- 
out a  ladder  none  can  ascend  a  house,  so  without  some  help 
it  is  impossible  for  us  to  ascend  to  the  knowledge  of  God." 
"  Such  a  one  will  save  me."  "  Such  a  one  will  be  respon- 
sible for  me."  "I  have  gone  to  such  a  one,  and  cast  all 
3 


26  THE    HEATHEN    WITHOUT    EXCUSE. 

my  sins  at  his  feet."  Some  proverbs  repudiating  idolatry, 
and  others  exposing  and  refuting  the  claims  of  Brahmins, 
have  become  extensively  current.  One  very  popular  prov- 
erb is,  "  If  the  idol  were  anything,  would  it  not  eat  up  the 
stone-cutter  vi^ho  dares  to  carve  it  ? "  Throughout  India 
there  are  prophecies  more  or  less  clearly  defining  a  period 
when  the  present  Brahminical  religion  shall  be  abolished, 
and  a  new  doctrine  shall  prevail.  These  prophecies  are 
known  to  the  illiterate  as  well  as  the  Brahmins,  and  have 
excited  in  the  minds  of  many  an  expectation  of  a  mighty 
change  in  religious  systems.  In  the  prophetic  Shastra  of 
the  Brahmins  there  is  a  prediction  to  the  eftect  that  in  the 
Kali  Yuga  —  the  era  in  which  we  now  live  —  all  distinc- 
tions of  caste  shall  cease,  and  all  men  shall  be  one.  It  is 
also  written,  that  men  will  forsake  idolatry,  and  worship 
the  Supreme.  A  prophecy  current  in  Gujurat  (Northern 
India)  may  be  thus  paraphrased  : 

"  Lo  !  see  advance  the  destined  day, 

When  fall  shall  every  heathen  shrine, 
When  Brahma's  shastra  shall  decay, 
Mohammed's  system  shall  decline. 

"  No  more  shall  different  sects  and  castes 

Each  from  the  rest  like  strangers  stand  , 
Divisions  then  shall  all  be  past, 
And  mankind  form  one  friendly  band." 

Some  prophecies  in  the  South  of  India  take  a  bolder 
sweep.     Take  a  specimen  : 

"  Lo  !  from  the  distant  West 
New  teachers  do  arise  ; 
Fair  is  their  countenance, 

Their  words  are  true  and  wise. 

"  The  Brahmin's  priestly  rule 
Shall  cease  to  liold  its  sway  ; 
Idols  of  wood  and  clay 
For  aye  shall  pass  away." 

Prophetic  writings  of  this  sort  are  already  beginning  to 
exert  an  important  influence.  Reports  from  the  country  of 
the  Canarese,  and  other  southern  regions,  assure  us  that  sev- 
eral natives,  and  sometimes  whole  communities,  have  been 
led  to  inquire  into  Christianity,  from  its  being  apparently 
the  religion  referred  to  in  their  prophetic  verses.     Thus  the 


KICKING    THE    GODS.  27 

missionary  finds  some  voice  echo  to  his  own  ;  some  sounds 
of  antiquity  symphonize  with  those  of  the  Gospel.  The  pop- 
nhxr  mind  has  been  in  a  faint  degree  prepared.  We  may  lay 
hold  of  these  floating  and  lifeless  elements  of  thought,  and 
make  them  subserve  the  purposes  of  a  stable  and  vital 
iUith.  —  Glarkson's  India  and  the  Gospel,  p.  189, 

CHEATING  THE  IDOL. 

A  Hindoo  idolater,  being  in  imminent  danger  from  an 
impending  calamity,  went  to  his  idol  god,  and  promised  to 
give  him  a  lakh  if  he  would  avert  the  danger.  Now,  a  lakh 
means  a  hundred  thousand  rupees,  and  it  means,  also,  a 
piece  of  sealing-wax.  The  meaning  of  the  supplicant,  at  the 
time  of  making  the  promise,  was  the  former.  But  the  peril 
was  no  sooner  avei'ted  than  he  betook  himself  to  the  latter, 
and  offered  to  the  idol  a  piece  of  wax.  Thus  doing,  he  sam- 
jaoed  (cajoled)  his  god,  which  the  more  sensible  Hindoos 
often  say  is  all  they  mean  by  worshipping  idols.  —  "Record  " 
of  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  1850. 

ADMISSION  OP  GUILT. 

Missionaries  in  India  have  held  np  Paul's  description  of 
the  heathen,  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, as  applicable  to  the  Hindoos  of  the  present  day  ;  and 
the  idolaters  of  India  have  proved  that  the  delineation,  as 
applied  to  them,  is  true,  by  actually  charging  the  mission- 
aries with  having  forged  this  passage  since  their  arrival  in 
the  country.  Thus  the  fullest  admission  has  been  made 
that  the  epistle  to  the  Romans  gives,  not  only  an  accurate 
description  of  the  enormities  and  woes  of  heathen  idolaters, 
but  of  their  guilt  and  ^self-condemnation,  as  knowing  that 
they  which  do  such  things  are  worthy  of  death. — Rev.  Mr. 
Sidlon,  Missionary  from  India. 

KICKING  THE  GODS. 

Rev.  Mr.  Williams,  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Society, 
in  his  "Missionary  Enterprises  in  the  South  Sea  Islands," 
says,  "  While  walking  through  the  settlement  at  Aitutaki, 
we  saw  two  grim-looking  gods  in  a  more  dishonorable  situa-. 
tion  than  they  had  been  wont  to  occupy  ;  for  they  were 
sustaining  upon  their  heads  the  whole  loeight  of  a  cooking- 
house!  Wishing  to  make  them  more  useful,  we  ofiered  to 
purchase  them  from  their  former  worshipper.     He  instantly 


28  THE   HEATHEN   WITHOUT   EXCUSE. 

propped  np  tlie  house,  took  out  the  idols,  and  threw  them 
down  ;  and,  while  they  were  prostrate  on  the  ground,  he 
gave  them  a  kick,  saying-,  'There  —  yoia-  reujn  is  at  an 
end.'  " 

MONEY  THE  HINDOO'S  GOD. 

That  the  Hindoos  care  more  for  money,  often,  than  for  their 
idolatry,  is  frequently  illustrated  in  the  most  forcible  man- 
ner. The  following  is  an  instance  :  — While  a  missionary  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society  was  preaching  to  a  crowd 
of  Brahmins  in  Southern  India,  one  of  them  came  forward 
and  said,  "  We  do  not  know  what  is  wisdom,  nor  what  is 
folly.  You  must  teach  us  ;  give  us  ten  rupees  a  month, 
and  we  will  come  over  to  you." — "A  strange,  but  true 
confession,"  says  the  missionarj^,  "  of  their  ignorance,  and 
the  magic  power  of  gold  over  them  ;  they  cannot  resist  it. 
Talk  of  Hindoo  prejudices  leading  the  people  into  revolt  I 
We  might  buy  them  all,  if  it  could  do  them  any  good,  and 
if  we  were  able.  Long  ago,  a  man  said  to  me,  in  my  preach- 
ing-place, '  Give  us  four  pagodas  a  month,  and  we  will  all 
become  Christians.  Money  is  the  best  god  you  can  give 
this  people.'  "  —Lon.  Hiss.  Mag.,  1849,  p.  57. 

A  STULTIFIED  iNTELLBCT. 

The  idolatry  of  India  in  a  marvellous  degree  stultifies 
the  intellect.  The  Hindoo  has  delusions  which  no  reason- 
ings can  remove.  An  infatuation  comes  over  him.  Pil- 
grims die  in  all  the  circumstances  of  horror,  and  they  call 
it  "entering  into  Elysium."  The}'  witness  the  abomina- 
tions of  the  temples,  and  all  the  loathsome  corruptions 
which  predominate  within  their  regions,  and  they  call  these 
places  "  the  gates  of  heaven,"  "  the  land  flowing  with  milk 
and  honey."  They  see  their  gods  to  be  impotent,  and  j'et 
assert  them  to  be  almighty.  "I  adduce,"  says  Mr.  Clark- 
son,  "  the  following  illustration.  A  popular  idol,  in  the  city 
of  my  labors,  was  submerged  by  a  flood.  I  ptiinted  out  to 
the  worshippers  the  impotence  of  the  idol,  inasmuch  as  he 
could  not  save  himself  from  the  waters.  What  was  the 
answer  ?  '  0,  our  god  chooses  to  be  drowned  !  If  he 
wished  it,  he  might  swallow  the  whole  river  at  a  gulp.' 
In  the  same  city,  hundreds  of  idols,  and  several  temples, 
were  burnt  down  in  a  very  destructive  fire.  Alas  !  the 
workmen  soon  replaced  them,  and  the  worshippers  went  on 
to  worship  the  new  divinities."  —  Clarkson's  India  and  the 
Gospel,  p.  Ii7. 


RELIGION    AND    THE    BAG    OF    MONEY.  29 

THE  STRENGTH  OF  SIN  WELL  EXPRESSED. 

It  is  seldom  that  a  more  simple  and  forcible  expression 
of  the  love  of  sin  in  the  natural  heart  is  heard,  than  that 
uttered  by  a  Dyak,  in  Borneo,  to  Mr.  Thomson,  the  mission- 
ar3\  He  quoted  several  remarks  which  he  had  heard,  and 
said,  "  We  are  urged  to  forsake  sin  ;  but  how  can  that  be  ? 
How  can  I  leave  off  my  sins  ?  Why,  I  love  them  be/ler  than 
I  do  my  i^ice !  "  IIow  many  in  Christian  lands,  if  equally 
honest,  might  adopt  this  truly  original  form  of  confession  I 
—  Missionary  Herald,  1854,  p.  318. 

BUYING  CHRISTIANS. 

Mr.  Adams,  of  Doorgapore,  India,  writes  :  "  To-day  a 
man,  after  hearing  some  remarks  which  I  made  upon  the 
chapter  I  had  read,  turned  away  with  contempt,  exclaim- 
ing, '  Give  me  three  rupees,  and  I  will  bring  you  three 
hundred  Christians  ;  give  me  ten,  and  I  will  bring  you  a 
thousand.'  "  The  missionary  adds  :  "  He  spoke  the  truth  ; 
we  could  every  day  make  thousands  of  the  kind  of  Chris- 
tians that  he  meant.  Such  is  the  venal  character  of  the 
Hindoos,  that,  by  money,  if  one  had  it,  we  could  make  as 
extensive  and  rapid  conquests  as  Mohammed  ever  made  by 
his  arms.  But  the  religion  of  Jesus  is  the  religion  of  con- 
science. "—5ap<.  Miss.  Her.,  April,  1820. 

RELIGION  AND  THE  BAG  OF  MONEY. 

As  a  missionary  was  preaching  to  a  company  of  Nes- 
toriahs,  a  young  man,  who  appeared  to  be  intoxicated, 
interrupted  by  asking  the  hearers,  "  What  do  j^ou  gain  by 
listening  ?  Let  the  gentleman  give  me  employment,  and  I 
will  repent,  and  stop  drinking.  If  not,  I  will  go  on  in  evil 
doing."  The  matron  of  the  house,  where  the  meeting  was 
held,  a  robust,  masculine-looking  woman,  called  out  in  the 
midst  of  the  discourse,  "Let  God  send  down  through  the 
roof  a  bag  of  money  for  us  to  pay  our  taxes  with,  and  then 
see  how  we  will  serve  him."  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1844,  p.  257, 
3* 


THE  HABITATIONS  OF  CRUELTY. 


HOKRIBLE  FUNERAL  SACRIFICES, 

At  Calabar,  in  West  Africa,  there  was,  in  1846,  a  fearful 
sacrifice  of  life  at  the  funeral  of  a  deceased  son  of  the  king-. 
The  miserable  son  danced  Egbo  all  day,  drank  nimbly  of 
palm  wine,  in  large  quantities,  and  died  the  same  night.  It 
is  supposed  he  was  poisoned.  The  aged  mother  cried  out, 
in  Aii'ican  frenzy,  that  she  had  lost  her  last  child,  and  now 
had  none  to  whom  to  leave  her  property,  and  plenty  of 
slaves  must  therefore  be  sacrificed.  Those  at  market,  and 
all  who  heard  in  time,  ran  into  the  bush,  and  remained  there 
till  the  sacrifices  ceased,  that  is,  till  the  term  of  their  per- 
sonal liabilities  expired,  which  was  more  than  a  year.  The 
sacrifice  took  place  1  Three  holes  were  dug  in  a  house. 
The  corpse  was  put  into  the  first,  with  a  number  of  young 
women.  Into  the  second,  the  slaves  were  put ;  and  into 
the  third,  the  Creoles,  or  town-born  people.  The  propor- 
tion for  these  holes  was,  thirty  female  slaves,  forty  male 
slaves,  and  twenty  Creoles.  They  were  either  buried  alive, 
or  killed  before  filling  up  the  holes  ;  and  thus  nearly  a  hun- 
dred people  met  a  horrible  death,  as  a  funeral  ofi'ering  to 
one  of  the  dark  gods  of  Africa.  —  American  Missionary, 
vol.  I.,  p.  56. 

SELLING   CHILDREN. 

The  practice  of  selling  children  is  very  common  in  Siam, 
on  the  part  of  poor  parents.  Hundreds,  perhaps,  are  sold 
into  slavery  dailj',  both  male  and  female,  the  latter  becom- 
ing, to  a  great  extent,  subservient  to  the  amusement  and 
sensuality  of  the  nobility.  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  July,  1837. 

"BLEEDING  AFRICA." 

In  no  part  of  the  heathen  world  has  the  horrid  practice 
of  sacrificing  human  beings  been  more  awfully  prevalent 


"bleeding   AFRICA."  31 

than  in  Western  Africa.  There  are  two  forms  of  this  fear- 
ful custom.  One  is  that  of  sacrificing'  persons  for  the  dead  ; 
the  other,  that  of  sacrifices  to  propitiate  the  fetish,  or  super- 
natural power.  The  first  form  demands  the  largest  number 
of  victims.  When  a  chief  or  any  of  his  relatives  die,  indi- 
viduals are  put  to  death,  in  order  that  they  may  follow  him 
into  the  future  world,  and  serve  him  there.  Affection  and 
grief  are  thus  converted  into  means  of  fearful  cruelty.  The 
rank  of  the  dead  and  of  the  living,  the  ardor  of  affection, 
and  the  greatness  of  the  sorrow  felt,  tend  to  augment  the 
number  of  these  butcheries.  The  British  consul,  Mr.  Bow- 
ditch,  who  resided  some  years  in  Ashantee,  states  that  when 
the  king's  mother  died,  the  king  himself  devoted  to  death 
three  thousand  victims!  two  thousand  of  whom  were  prison- 
ers taken  in  war ;  besides  which,  five  of  the  largest  towns, 
to  show  their  loyalty,  offered  one  hundred  victims  each  ; 
and  most  of  the  smaller  towns,  ten  each.  The  victims  are 
generally  slaves  or  captives  ;  but  when  these  are  insuffi- 
cient, the  friends  of  the  deceased  seize  and  drag  to  death 
whomsoever  they  can  catch,  and  it  is  not  deemed  murder. 

Under  the  second  form,  human  sacrifices  are  offered  when 
a  war  is  to  be  undertaken,  a  calamity  averted,  or  any  impor- 
tant work  done.  The  public  national  customs,  as  the  relig- 
ious ceremonies  are  called,  are  but  scenes  of  wholesale 
slaughter.  For  daj's,  the  floor  of  the  palace,  the  streets, 
and  public  places,  are  covered  with  blood.  Hence  it  is, 
that  Africa  is  called,  with  awful  significance,  a  "land  of 
skulls."  These  are  seen  in  almost  every  house  and  court- 
yard, and  often  in  large  heaps  elsewhere,  and  they  are 
exhibited  as  evidences  of  piety,  and  a  source  of  pi'otection 
to  life  and  property.  Says  Rev.  Mr.  Freeman,  missionary, 
"The  wall  which  surrounds  the  palace  of  the  king  of  Da- 
homey is  decorated  with  human  skulls,  stuck  on  small 
sticks."  Six  thousand  heads  of  war-captives  were  cut  oft' 
for  the  purpose  ;  and,  as  these  were  found  to  be  insuffi- 
cient, an  order  was  given  to  chop  off"  as  manj'-  as  were 
needed,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  seven  heads  were 
added,  to  adorn  the  royal  walls,  and  protect  the  palace. 
This  custom  explains  the  "  fetish  tree,"  seen  by  Lander,  at 
Badagry.  The  bodies  of  the  victims  are  hewed  to  pieces, 
and  fragments  suspended  on  the  branches  of  this  enormous 
tree,  while  the  skulls  are  placed  in  heaps  around  its  vast 
base.  Thousands  of  vultures  feed  upon  the  flesh  with  which 
these  trees  are  loaded,  and  the  air  is  filled  with  the  intoler- 


32  THE   HABITATIONS   OF    CEUELTY. 

able  stench  of  putrefying  bodies.  Truly,  Africa  is  a  land 
of  darkness,  cruelty  and  blood  !  made  so  by  its  own  hea- 
thenism, independent  of  the  slave-trade  ;  but  intelligent  resi- 
dents in  that  country  declare  that  these  woes  have  been 
immeasurably  aggravated  and  em])ittered  by  that  inhuman 
traffic.  A  Calabar  chief  said,  when  remonstrated  with  in 
regard  to  these  cruelties,  "A  slave  be  nothing."  Yes, 
European  and  American  Christians  (nominally  so)  have 
taught  the  African  chief  that  "a  slave  be  nothing,"  and 
have  sanctioned  the  wholesale  butchery  of  these  poor  vic- 
tims, by  a  barbarity  worse  than  death,  at  the  altar  of  super- 
stition.—  U.  Brelh.'s  Miss.  Record,  1846,  p.  187, 

TOHTURIITG  HUMAN"  VICTIMS. 

Common  as  human  sacrifices  are  among  heathen  nations, 
it  is  seldom  that  they  are  known  to  torture  their  victims 
before  killing  them.  But  the  following  are  appalling  in- 
stances of  such  a  practice.  In  Coomassie,  the  capital  of 
Ashantee,  Western  Africa,  an  English  gentleman  was  wit- 
ness to  the  horrible  torments  inflicted  on  a  man  previous  to 
sacrifice.  His  hands  were  pinioned  behind  him,  a  knife  was 
passed  through  his  cheeks,  to  which  his  lips  were  noosed 
like  the  figure  8  ;  one  ear  was  cut  off,  and  carried  before 
him  ;  the  other  hung  to  his  head  by  a  small  bit  of  skin  ; 
there  were  several  gashes  in  his  back,  and  a  knife  was 
thrust  under  each  shoulder-blade  ;  he  was  led,  with  a  cord 
passed  through  his  nose,  by  men  disfigured  with  immense 
caps  of  shaggy  black  skins,  and  drums  beat  before  him. 

In  another  case.  Rev.  Mr.  Freeman,  Wesleyan  missionary, 
saw  two  human  beings,  who  were  about  to  be  offered  in  the 
"  devil-house,"  each  with  knives  forced  through  their  cheeks, 
one  on  each  side,  so  as  to  deprive  them  of  speech.  This 
peculiar  method  of  torture  is  resorted  to,  to  prevent  the 
victims  fnmi  cursing  the  king,  or  swearing  the  death  of  any 
persons  on  whom  they  might  wish  vengeance  to  fall.  — 
Fox's  Hist,  of  Wesleyan  Jllission  in  W.  Africa,  p.  252, 

WOMEN   IN  AFHICA. 

The  appalling  degradation  and  abuse  of  women  in  West 
Africa  is  set  forth  in  the  following  passage  :  "  They  are 
bought  and  sold,  whipped,  worked  and  despised.  Unques- 
tionably thc}^  become  surly,  malicious  and  perverse,  and, 
under  the  detestable  system  of  polygamy  which  prevails 
everywhere,  they  are  perfectly  faithless  to  their  husbands ; 


AWFUL    SUPERSTITION.  33 

whom  they  torment  by  tlieir  perversity.  They  are  the  most 
bitter  enemies  of  the  missionaries,  and  this  they  communi- 
cate to  their  chikh-en.  They  are  here,  as  mothers  are  ever}^- 
where,  the  instructors  of  the  young.  Early  in  life  they  fill 
the  3'oung  mind  with  the  most  foolish  and  debasing  supei'- 
stitions,  and  foster,  by  daily  example,  the  worst  of  pas- 
sions." The  missionary,  from  whose  journal  we  copy,  says, 
"  I  am  convinced  that  the  first  efficient  movement,  in  under- 
mining these  systems  of  false  religion,  must  be  in  the  way 
of  female  training."  American  females,  he  thinks,  should 
not  hesitate  to  make  the  experiment  of  teaching  them, 
though  it  be  attended  with  some  danger  to  health  and  life. 
—  Miss.  Her.,  1851. 

AWFUL  SUPEKSTITION. 

A  missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  among 
the  Caflres  in  South  Africa,  relates  the  following  instance 
of  awful  cruelty,  practised  under  the  influence  of  the  preva- 
lent superstition.  Two  children  at  a  Kraal,  at  some  dis- 
tance from  his  residence,  had  died  quite  suddenly,  and  their 
destruction  was  attributed  to  witchcraft.  After  an  examina- 
tion of  the  case,  a  Caffi-e  sorceress  decided  that  an  uncle  of 
the  children,  about  forty  years  of  age,  had  caused  their 
death  by  witchcraft.  He  was  thereupon  seized,  bound,  and 
severely  beaten.  Next  he  was  thrown  on  the  ground,  and 
thongs  bound  round  his  ankles,  wrists  and  neck,  and,  with 
his  limbs  extended  and  his  face  upwards,  he  was  fastened 
to  the  earth,  and  exposed  to  the  fierce  rays  of  a  burning 
sun  ;  a  scorching  fire  was  made  at  his  feet,  and  large  stones 
made  hot  in  it  applied  to  various  parts  of  his  body.  In  this 
situation  he  was  found  when  the  missionary,  who  had  heard 
of  the  scene,  hastily  arrived,  in  the  hope  of  relieving  the 
sufferer.  But  his  remonstrances  were  of  no  avail.  The 
helpless  sufferer's  toi'ture  was  now  increased  by  a  nest  of 
large  black  ants,  whose  bite  is  severely  painful,  being  shaken 
over  his  body  ;  and,  when  the  missionary  approached  to  drive 
them  off,  he  was  peremptorily  ordered  to  desist,  and  to  in- 
terfere no  more.  These  dreadful  tortures  were  continued 
from  early  in  the  morning  until  near  sunset,  when  the 
wretched  man  was  released,  and  allowed  to  crawl  away 
with  the  small  remains  of  life  he  possessed.  But  he  had 
been  fatally  injured,  and  he  died  in  two  days.  —  3[issionary 
Chronicle,  1835,  p.  344. 


34  THE   HABITATIONS    OF    CRUELTY. 

HEAD   FOR  HEAD. 

Rev.  Mr.  Anderson,  of  the  Scotch  United  Presbyterian 
Church,  long  a  missionary  in  West  Africa,  writes,  in  1850, 
that  as  he  and  Dr.  Taylor  were  walking  along,  in  old  Cala- 
bar, they  saw  two  fellows  fighting  with  big  sticks.  One 
nearly  broke  the  other's  head.  The  missionaries  took  them 
both  to  his  majesty  the  king,  to  see  how  he  would  settle  the 
quarrel.  The  trial  was  very  short.  Oidy  one  party  was 
heard  —  the  complainant.  Having  heard  his  storj^,  the 
king  cut  the  matter  short,  by  giving  his  decision,  which 
was,  "Him  break  your  head?  Why  you  no  break  his 
back  again  ?  Go."  The  parties  immediately  went  ofi',  and 
the  king  said  to  his  white  friends,  "This  be  proper  fashion 
for  Calabar ;  when  one  man  hurt  another,  other  must  Inirt 
him  back  ;  and  if  another  man  make  palaver  (i.  e.,  a  third 
party  interfere),  shoot  him."  Barbarous  and  heathenish  as 
the  ideas  of  this  sable  king  may  seem,  his  decision  was 
quite  as  enlightened  as  is  the  sentiment  on  which  rests  the 
"  code  of  honor,"  which  is  simply  a  law  of  brute  force  and 
deliberate  murder. 

CHINESE  CRUELTY— MAKING  LITTLE  FEET. 

In  1847,  Dr.  Peter  Parker  gave  the  following  account  of 
a  case  which  came  under  his  own  observation.  It  was  that 
of  Luh  Akwang,  an  interesting  little  Chinese  girl,  seven 
years  of  age,  who  lost  both  her  feet  from  compression. 
"On  the  9th  of  February,  agreeably  to  a  custom  that  has 
prevailed  in  China  for  thousands  of  years,  the  bandages 
were  applied,  a  la  mode,  to  her  feet,  occasioning  her  ex- 
cessive sufferings,  which,  after  the  lapse  of  a  fortnight, 
became  insupportable,  and  the  parents  were  reluctantly 
compelled  to  remove  the  bandages,  when,  as  the  father 
j.-eprescnted,  the  toes  were  found  discolored.  Gangrene  had 
commenced,  and,  when  she  was  brought  to  the  hospital  on 
the  Stb  of  March,  it  had  extended  to  the  whole  foot.  The 
ijne  oir  demai-cation  formed  at  the  ankles,  and  both  feet 
were  perfectly  black,  shrivelled,  and  dry,  and  nearly  ready 
to  drop  oflTat  the  ankle-joint.  The  left  foot  separated  in  a 
few  days  after,  and  within  about  ten  days  the  right  also, 
leaving  the  stumps  healthy,  the  granulation  rapidly  covering 
tlie  bone^  and  new  skin  forming  at  the  edges.  The  friends 
preferring  it,  the  child  was  treated  at  home,  being  brought 
occasionally  to  the  hospital.  The  last  time  she  was  seen, 
the  right  stum])  had  nearly  healed  over,  the  other  was  less 


WITHOUT   NATURAL    AFFECTION.  35 

advanced  in  the  healing  process.  Since  the  occurrence  of 
this  case,  I  have  heard,  on  good  authority,  of  several  others 
similar,  — a  painful  comment  on  the  cruelty  of  this  custom, 
to  which  millions  in  China  have  been  subject  during  many 
centuries  past."  The  origin  of  this  practice.  Dr.  Parker  says, 
is  ascribed  to  Tanke,  an  infamous  empress,  B.  C.  1100,  who 
was  born  with  club  feet.  She  is  represented  as  having 
great  influence  over  the  emperor,  whom  she  induced  to 
issue  an  imperial  edict,  adopting  her  feet;  as  the  model  of 
oeauty,  and  requiring  the  compression  of  the  infant  females' 
feet,  so  as  to  conform  to  the  imperial  model.  This  is  a  tra- 
ditional story,  to  which,  Dr.  Parker  does  not  attach  much 
importance. — Am.  Hiss.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  87. 

"WITHOUT  NATURAL  AFFECTION. 

Robert  Moifat,  more  than  twenty  years  missionary  in 
South  Africa,  relates  the  following  painful  incidents,  which 
XJame  under  his  observation.  Returning  home  with  his 
party  from  a  tour  in  the  interior,  his  attention  was  called  to 
an  object  the  most  pitiful  and  distressing  he  had  ever  beheld. 
It  was  a  venerable-looking  old  woman,  a  living  skeleton, 
sitting,  with  her  head  leaning  on  her  knees.  She  appeared 
terrified  at  the  presence  of  the  strangers,  and  especially 
Mr.  Moflfat.  She  tried  to  rise,  but  was  too  weak,  and  she 
sunk  again  to  the  earth.  Mr.  Mofi'at  addressed  her,  saying, 
"  My  mother,  fear  not,  we  are  friends,  and  will  do  you  no 
harm."  He  put  several  questions  to  her;  but  she  seemed 
afraid  to  open  her  lips.  He  again  repeated,  "  Pray, 
mother,  who  are  you,  and  how  do  you  come  to  be  in  this 
situation?"  —  to  which  she  replied,  "I  am  a  woman;  I 
have  been  here  four  days  ;  my  children  have  left  me  here  to 
die."  —  "Your  children!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Moffat.  "Yes," 
raising  her  hand  to  her  shrivelled  bosom,  "my  own 
children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  They  are  gone," 
pointing  with  her  finger,  "  to  yonder  blue  mountain,  and 
have  left  me  here  to  die."  —  "  And,  pray,  why  did  they  leave 
you  ?  "  he  inquired.  Spreading  out  her  hands,  she  said, 
"  I  am  old,  you  see,  and  I  am  no  longer  able  to  serve  them  ; 
when  they  kill  game,  I  am  too  feeble  to  help  in  carrying 
home  the  flesh  ;  I  am  not  able  to  gather  wood  to  make 
fire  ;  and  I  cannot  cany  their  children  on  my  back,  as  I  used 
to  do."  —  "This  last  sentence,"  says  Mr.  Moffiit,  was  more 
than  I  could  bear,  and,  though  my  tongue  was  cleaving  to 
the  roof  of  my  mouth  for  want  of  water,  this  reply  opened  a 


36  THE    HABITATIONS   OP    CRUELTY. 

fountain  of  tears.  I  remarked  that  I  was  surprised  that 
she  had  escaped  the  lions,  which  abounded,  and  had  ap- 
proached very  near  the  spot  where  she  was.  She  took  hold 
of  tlie  skin  of  her  left  arm  with  lier  fing-ers,  and,  raising  it  up 
as  one  would  do  a  loose  linen,  she  added,  "  I  hear  the  lions, 
but  there  is  nothing  on  me  that  they  would  eat ;  I  have  no 
flesh  on  me  for  them  to  scent."  Mr.  Motfat  offered  to  take 
her  into  his  wagon  and  remove  her  to  a  neighboring  village, 
but  she  replied,  "  They  would  only  do  the  same  thing  with 
me  again  ;  it  is  our  custom  ;  I  am  nearly  dead,  and  I  do  not 
want  to  die  again."  This  is  what  human  nature  comes  to 
without  the  Gospel.  — 3Iiss.  Labors  and  Scenes  in  South 
Africa,   p.  133, 

SACBIPICES  TO   JUGGERNAUT. 

Dr.  Scudder  says  that  200,000  persons  visit  Juggernaut 
yearly,  and  that  10,000  of  them  die  annually.  Others  think 
tliat  if  all  that  die  at  Poore  (Juggernaut's  seat)  and  upon, 
the  road,  and  all  who  sink  under  diseases  after  they  return 
home,  were  included,  tlie  number  would  be  nearer  20,000. 
This  does  not  include  those  who  suffer  and  die  by  diseases 
contracted  or  taken  by  others  from  returned  pilgrims.  If 
we  remember  that  this  awful  mortalit}',  both  of  tlic  pilgrims 
and  the  people  among  whom  they  journey,  has  been  going 
on  for  hundreds  of  years,  we  can  form  some  feeble  estimate 
of  the  mass  of  misery  which  this  formidable  pilgrimage  pro- 
duces. 

"WOMAN"  IN"  INDIA. 

The  distinguished  Dr.  Duff  has  compressed  into  a  single 
passage  a  volume  of  truth  respecting  the  condition  of  females 
in  India.  lie  says,  "  In  India,  the  birth  of  a  female  sel- 
dom occasions  any  greetings  congratulatory  to  tlie  motlier, 
—  any  kind  of  inquiries  respecting  the  welfare  of  her  new- 
born babe.  It  is  the  commonest  expression  on  tlie  lips  of 
the  men,  '  Cursed  be  the  day  when  a  female  was  born  in 
my  house  !  '  Were  a  stranger  at  any  time  to  meet  a  respect- 
able Hindoo,  —  a  man  of  wealth  and  rank,  of  sense  and 
honor,  —  and  were  he,  in  his  ignorance  of  the  customs  of  the 
country,  to  ask  for  the  wife  and  family  of  his  new  acquaint- 
ance, how  would  such  an  act  of  intended  and  well-meant 
kindness  be  regarded  ?  In  no  other  light  than  that  of  an 
insult.  At  any  such  inquiries  he  is  apt  to  be  fired  with  indig- 
nation.    If  the  husband  is  obliged  on  any  occasion  to  refer 


RETRIBUTION.  37 

to  his  wife,  he  will  not  speak  of  her  in  direct  and  express 
terms.  He  will  say,  '  A  certain  person,'  or  '  Some  individ- 
ual.' Hence  it  is,  that  in  India  there  are  millions  of  molliers, 
but  not  a  single  ivife,  in  the  noble  and  Christian  sense  of  the 
term  ;  millions  of  domestic  drudges,  but  not  a  single  guide  or 
instructress  of  her  own  children!  From  the  very  entrance 
of  woman  into  the  world,  she  is  treated  as  a  slave,  who  has 
no  personal  liberty.  The  universal  practice  is  to  betroth  her 
at  the  tenderest  age,  and  very  often  when  a  mere  infant,  to 
her  future  husband.  There  is  no  will  —  no  choice  —  no  room 
for  the  exercise  of  afiection.  But  the  misery  does  not  stop 
here.  Suppose  the  betrothed  husband  should  die  before  the 
marriage  is  consummated,  what  is  the  fate  of  the  female  ? 
The  betroth ment  is  considered  to  be  of  the  very  essence  of 
marriage.  She  is  accordingly  treated  as  a  widow  ;  and,  by 
a  law  held  to  be  of  divine  authority,  a  widow  is  forbidden  to 
marry.  Accordingly,  if  she  refuse  to  sacrifice  herself  on  the 
funeral  pile  of  her  intended  husband,  she  must  remain  a 
widow  for  life,  subject  to  a  thousand  vexatious  restrictions 
and  mortifying  indignities.  In  this  way,  there  are  thousands 
of  widows  in  India,  not  exceeding  the  age  of  ten  or  iwelce, 
and  not  a  few  from  two  years  old  and  under  !  Who  can  tell 
what  a  fount  of  temptation,  and  pollution,  and  wickedness, 
this  cruel  and  arbitrary  system  has  opened,  and  for  ages 
kept  open,  in  every  province  in  India?  —  Duff's  Miss.  Ad- 
dresses, p.  227. 

KETRIBUTION. 

The  manner  in  which  a  horrid  and  cruel  heathen  custom 
was  brought  to  an  end  is  related  by  Dr.  Grant  of  the  Nes- 
torian  mission.  A  little  distance  from  Lezan  was  a  preci- 
pice, down  which  it  was  the  custom,  at  a  former  period,  for 
children  to  throw  their  aged  and  helpless  parents,  to  relieve 
themselves  of  the  burden  of  their  support.  At  length  a  young 
man,  who  was  carrying  his  aged  father  up  the  precipitous 
mountain,  became  exhausted,  and  put  down  his  burden  to 
rest,  when  the  old  man  began  to  weep,  and  said  to  his  son, 
"  It  is  not  for  myself  but  for  you  that  I  weep.  I  well 
remember  the  time  when  I  carried  my  father  up  this  same 
mountain,  but  I  little  thought  then  that  my  turn  would  come 
so  soon.  I  weep,  my  son,  to  think  that  you  too  may  soon 
be  dashed  down  that  dreadful  precipice,  as  you  arc  about  to 
do  to  me."  This  speech  melted  the  son's  heart ;  he  carried 
back  his  venerable  father,  and  maintained  him  at  his  own 
4 


38  THE   HABITATIONS    OP   CRUELTY. 

home.  From  that  time  the  practice  wholly  ceased.  Dr. 
Grant,  without  vouchiug-  for  the  truth  of  the  story,  gives  it 
as  a  valuable  legend  of  the  country. — Iltss.  Her.,  1841, 
p. 126. 

CHARACTER   OP    THE  GONDS. 

The  Gonds  are  a  primitive  people,  inhabiting  western  Ilin- 
doostan.  "They  are  cannibals,  and  extremely  savage, 
though  they  do  not  eat  the  flesh  of  any  person  not  belonging 
to  their  own  family  or  tribe.  It  is  the  custom  of  this  singu- 
lar people  to  cut  the  throat  of  any  person  of  their  family  who 
is  sick,  and  not  likely  to  recover,  and  when  killed  they  feast 
upon  his  body.  So,  when  a  person  is  aged  and  infirm,  they 
proceed  with  him  as  with  the  sick.  This  they  do  not  con- 
sider a  sin,  but  an  acceptable  service  to  Kalee,  and  a  mercy 
to  their  relatives."  Missionaries  of  late  have  modified  this 
statement,  and  have  observed  that  the  Gonds  have  ceased  to 
be  cannibals,  and  have  become  as  much  civilized  as  the 
poorer  Hindoos  around  them.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  testi- 
iied  to  by  missionaries  and  government  officers,  that  the 
Gonds  are  honest  and  "  never  told  lies."  —  Miss.  Her.,  1853, 
p.  23T. 


NATIVE  INTELLECT,  CAPACITY,  WIT,  ETC. 


HEATHEN    DO    THINK. 

The  heathen  are  not  all  as  dull  and  thoughtless  as  some 
imagine.  Of  this  the  following  is  a  proof.  Sekesa,  a  Be- 
chuaua  (West  African),  thus  addressed  a  missionary,  from 
whom  he  had  been  hearing  the  Gospel :  —  "  Your  views,  0 
white  man,  are  just  what  I  wanted  and  sought  for,  before  I 
found  you.  Twelve  years  ago,  I  went,  in  a  cloudy  season, 
to  feed  my  flock  along  the  Tlotse,  among  the  Malutis. 
Seated  upon  a  rock,  in  sight  of  my  sheep,  I  asked  myself 
sad  questions,  — yes,  sad,  because  I  could  not  answer  them. 
The  sta7^s,  said  I,  who  touched  them  with  his  hand  ?  On 
what  pillars  do  they  rest  ?  The  xoaters  are  not  weary  ;  they 
run  without  ceasing,  at  night  and  morning  alike  ;  but  where 
do  they  stop  ?  or  who  makes  them  run  thus  ?  The  clouds 
also  go,  return,  and  fall  in  water  to  the  earth.  Whence  do 
they  arise  ?  Who  sends  them  ?  It  surely  is  not  the  Barokas 
(rain-makers)  who  gave  us  the  rain,  for  how  could  they 
make  it  ?  The  wind,  what  is  it  ?  Who  brings  it  or  takes 
it  away,  makes  it  blow,  and  roar,  and  frighten  us  ?  Do  I 
know  how  the  corn  grows  ?  Yesterday  there  was  not  a 
blade  to  be  seen  in  my  field  ;  to-day  I  return  and  find  some- 
thing. It  is  very  small,  I  can  scarcely  see  it,  but  it  will 
grow  up  like  to  a  young  man.  Who  canhave  given  the  ground 
wisdom  and  power  to  produce  it  ?  Then,  I  buried  mj'-  fore- 
head in  my  hands, —  again  I  thought  within  myself,  and  I 
said,  We  all  depart,  but  this  country  remains  ;  it  alone 
remains,  for  we  all  go  away.  But  whither  do  we  go  ?  My 
heart  answered,  Perhaps  other  men  live  besides  us,  and  we 
shall  go  to  them.  A  second  time  it  said.  Perhaps  those 
men  live  under  the  earth,  and  we  shall  go  to  them  ;  but 
another  thought  arose  against  it,  and  said,  Those  men  under 


40  NATIVE   INTELLECT,    CAPACITY,   WIT,   ETC. 

the  earth,  whence  come  they?     Then  my  heart  did  not  know 
what  more  to  think.     It  wandered. 

"  Then  m}'  heart  rose  and  spoke  to  me,  sa3Mng,  All  men 
do  much  evil,  and  thou,  thou  also  hast  done  much  evil ;  woe 
to  thee  !  I  recalled  many  wrongs  which  I  had  done  to 
others,  and  because  of  them  my  conscience  gnawed  me  in 
secret,  as  I  sat  alone  on  the  rock.  I  say  I  was  afraid  ;  I 
got  up,  and  ran  after  my  sheep,  trying  to  enliven  myself; 
but  1  trembled  much."  —  Pres.  For.  Ilias.,  1851,  p.  20. 

EAGERNESS    IN    LEARNING   TO    READ. 

A  native  assistant  in  the  female  seminary  at  Ooroomiah 
gives  the  following  deeply  interesting  account  of  the  anxiety 
and  efforts  of  the  girls,  women,  and  men,  in  the  Sabbath- 
school,  to  learn  to  read.  lie  says,  "  One  girl,  who  has 
never  been  to  school,  has  read  her  New  Testament  twice 
through,  and  has  begun  to  read  the  Old  Testament,  trans- 
lating from  the  ancient  Syriac.  There  are  sixteen  women 
who  have  learned  to  read  well  in  the  New  Testament. 
These  women  have  never  been  to  school,  nor  have  they  time 
to  go,  for  they  are  laborers,  and  have  a  great  deal  of  work. 
But  they  love  to  read,  and  when  they  go  out  in  the  summer 
to  their  vineyards  or  fields,  to  weed,  they  carry  their  books 
with  tliem  ;  and  when  they  sit  down  to  eat  and  rest  a  little, 
while  their  companions  sleep,  they  read.  Others,  who  have 
not  oil  to  light  their  houses,  read  by  moonlight.  Others, 
when  they  are  spinning,  put  their  books  on  a  little  shelf,  and 
spin  and  read.  Of  the  men  who  have,  in  these  two  years, 
learned  to  read,  one  has  finished  his  New  Testament,  and 
fourteen  others  read  well.  It  is  a  very  difficult  thing  for 
them  to  read,  for  they  have  a  great  deal  of  work  in  winter 
and  summer.  They  are  very  poor,  and  cannot  leave  their 
Avork  to  go  to  school.  This  they  do  that  they  ma}"-  learn. 
When  they  go  out  to  plough,  or  dig,  or  harvest,  they  put 
their  books  in  their  pockets,  and,  at  the  time  for  rest,  when 
their  companions  lie  down,  they  read.  Though  they  may 
be  very  tired  when  they  come  from  their  work  at 
night,  they  always  read,  however  late  it  may  be.  One  of 
these  men,  of  whom  I  have  spoken,  is  so  earnest  to  read, 
tliat,  when  he  gets  up  in  the  night  to  take  care  of  liis  cattle, 
he  never  sleeps  afterwards,  but  reads  till  morning.  When 
his  flimily  knew  this  they  waked  him  no  more  to  work  in 
the  iiight,  because  he  burned  so  much  oil.  There  are  some 
of  these  men  who  will  give  a  little  girl  a  cent,  to  give  at  the 


A    TOUCHING    APPEAL.  41 

monthly  concert,  for  teaching  them  ;  and  so  they  gather  up 
knowledge.  When  they  come  to  evening  prayers  they 
bring  their  books  with  them,  and  read  till  the  people  assem- 
ble."—J/is^\  Her.,  1852,  p.  241. 

A   MODEL    PREACHEK. 

John,  the  acting  native  pastor  of  Geog  Tapa,  was  one  of 
the  most  devoted  laborers  among  the  Nestorians.  He  usu- 
ally preached  three  times  a  day  during  the  week  time, 
besides  performing  other  arduous  duties.  His  spirit  and 
practice  may  be  inferred  from  the  language  he  employed  in 
public  on  one  occasion,  as  described  by  Rev.  Mr.  Stocking. 
He  said  to  his  hearers,  "  Meet  the  truth  like  men,  for  we 
shall  not  cease  to  pursue  jow,  wherever  you  are,  with  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit.  If  you  come  to  church,  you  will  meet 
it  here.  If  you  stay  in  your  houses,  we  shall  reach  you 
there.  If  you  go  to  your  Holds,  we  shall  go  after  you  there. 
If  we  find  you  in  the  streets,  there  we  shall  address  you  ; 
and  if  you  are  in  your  stables,  thither,  also,  we  shall  go  to 
reclaim  you  to  God.  Since,  then,  there  is  no  escape  for  you, 
meet  the  truth,  and  yield  yourselves  to  God."  —  Jour,  of 
Miss.,  Aug.,  1850. 

A    TOUCHIlSrG    APPEAL. 

Eev.  John  Williams,  in  his  Missionary  Enterprises,  p, 
466,  gives  the  following  account  of  a  scene  which  occurred 
on  his  leaving  the  island  of  Raiatea,  one  of  the  Society 
Islands,  where  he  had  long  labored  as  a  missionary.  He 
saj's  :  "  A  few  weeks  after  I  had  taken  leave  of  Raiatea  for 
England,  I  had  occasion  to  return  to  that  island  ;  and,  a 
short  time  subsequent  to  my  arrival,  I  found  that  a  meeting 
had  been  convened,  which  I  was  requested  to  attend.  I 
knew  not  its  object,  until  the  king's  speaker  arose,  and  told 
me  that  they  had  met  to  request  me  to  abandon  my  inten- 
tion of  visiting  England.  After  many  interesting  addresses, 
a  chief  arose,  and,  with  great  gravity,  said,  '  Mr.  Williams, 
I  have  been  reading  to-day  what  Paul  wrote  to  the  Philip- 
pians  :  "  I  am  in  a  strait  between  two,  having  a  desire  to 
depart  and  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better  ;  nevertheless, 
to  abide  in  the  flesh  is  more  needful  for  you."  Now,  wo 
all  know  that  you  must  wish  to  see  your  friends,  and  visit 
your  native  country,  after  so  long  an  absence, —  this  is  very 
reasonable  ;  but  don't  you  think,  if  Paul  was  willing  (o  stay, 
even  out  of  heaven,  to  do  good  to  Christians  on  earth,  that 
4* 


42  NATIVE   INTELLECT,   CAPACITY,   WIT,   ETC. 

you  ought  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  visiting  England,  to  do 
good  to  us  r* '  This  was  a  touching  appeal ;  and,  feeling  it 
deeply,  I  replied,  b}'-  expressing  my  pleasure  at  receiving 
this  proof  of  their  aflection,  and  promised,  on  revisiting 
Tahiti,  to  consult  Mrs.  W.,  and,  if  we  could  not  remain  our- 
selves, to  persuade  one  of  our  brother  missiouaries  to  reside 
with  them  until  our  return.  I  had  no  sooner  made  this 
declaration  than  another  speaker  arose,  and,  after  thanking 
me  for  promising  to  endeavor  to  find  a  substitute,  exclaimed, 
'  But,  although  we  have  ten  thousand  instructors  in  Christ, 
we  have  not  many  fathers  ;  for,  in  Christ  Jesus,  you  have 
begotten  us  through  the  Gospel.'  " 

THE  BLIND  BOY  AND  THE  BIBLE. 

The  ease  and  rapidity  with  which  the  blind  often  acquire 
a  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  is  illustrated  in  the  case  of 
a  little  Nestorian  boy,  who,  though  he  could  not  see  at  all, 
learned  more  rapidly  than  any  other  boy  in  the  mission 
school.  After  hearing  the  other  boys  read  a  chapter  in  the 
Bible  a  few  times,  he  Avould  repeat  the  whole  of  it  from 
memory.  When  his  turn  came  to  read,  he  would  repeat  his 
verse  with  as  much  accuracy  as  any  of  them.  — Miss.  Her., 
1844,  p.  260. 

A    HEATHEN   CHILD'S    BETORT. 

A  little  boy  (son  of  a  distinguished  Hindoo),  who  had 
been  taught  in  the  mission  school,  said  to  a  devotee,  who 
came  to  his  father's  house  to  beg  for  food,  "  I  cannot  give 
you  rice  ;  ask  the  house."  The  devotee  answered,  "  Why 
should  I  do  so  ?  It  cannot  give  me  anything."  —  "  Then," 
said  the  boy,  "  ask  the  tree,"  pointing  to  a  cocoa-nut  tree. 

—  "  Tliat  cannot  understand  me,  if  1  do,"  was  the  reply. 

—  "  Then  ask  Juggernaut,  whom  you  worship,"  continued 
the  boy  ;  "  he  will  understand  as  well  as  the  tree,  because 
he  is  wood."  The  poor  devotee  walked  away,  bearing  this 
sharp  and  sensible  rebuke  as  well  as  he  could. — Gen.  Bap. 
Repos.,  1850,  p.  294. 

NATIVE    ELOQUENCE. 

A  native  catechist  at  Madura,  addressing  a  company 
from  the  latter  part  of  the  sixth  chapter  of  Matthew,  said, 
"  Of  what  avail  is  knowledge  without  faith  ?  Where  is  Ra- 
maswamy  ?  (a  native  who  had  recently  died.)    Where  there 


BEMARKABLE   FAMILIARITY   WITH   THE   SCRIPTURES.    43 

is  no  room  for  change  !  And  how  suddenly  was  he  taken  ! 
How  many  plans  has  he  left  unfinished  !  Ilow  did  he  think, 
'  To-morrow  I  will  g-o  to  Pereakolum,  and  do  tliis  ;  another 
day  to  Combum,  and  do  that ;  and  here  in  Dindigul  I  will  do 
so  and  so  ! '  Did  he  do  it  ?  And  that  interest  in  the  court 
at  Madura, — you  know  with  what  hopes  he  went  thither  a 
few  weeks  since.  '  If  this  succeeds,  I  shall  get  a  name  for 
my  family  and  kindred,  and  for  myself  Did  he  accomplish 
it  all  ?  Where  is  he  now  ?  Remember  the  rich  fool.  While 
he  would  be  pulling  down  and  enlarging  his  store-houses, 
God  calls  away  his  soul.  Did  he  carry  any  of  his  wealth 
with  him  ?  Did  Ramaswamy  carry  any  of  his  with  him  ? 
Where  is  his  last  month's  wages  ?  Are  they  not  in  his 
trunk  ?  And  of  what  avail  to  him  now  ?  Did  the  people 
whose  reproaches  he  feared  go  with  him  ?  What  folly  to 
fear  the  revilings  of  men  !  "  Much  more  to  the  same  effect 
is  recorded  of  this  speech,  showing  a  degree  of  force  and 
ingenuity  in  the  native  mind,  which  eminently  fits  them  for 
operating  successfully  upon  their  countrymen,  where  by 
grace  and  education  they  are  fitted  for  preachers  of  the  Gos- 
pel.—Miss.  He?'.,  1842,  p.  138. 

NOT    ASHAMED. 

Rev.  Mr.  Yate,  in  his  New  Zealand,  p.  216,  repox'ts  the 
speech  of  an  old  chief,  at  an  evening  service  held  by  Mr. 
Yate.  At  the  conclusion,  the  chief  rose  and  said,  "  Come, 
friends,  let  us  all  believe  ;  it  will  do  us  no  harm.  Believ- 
ing, what  will  it  do  ?  It  will  not  kill  us,  for  the  white 
people  do  not  die  ;  it  will  not  make  us  ill,  for  the  white 
people  are  not  ill ;  it  will  not  make  us  ashamed,  for  the 
white  people  are  not  ashamed  ;  therefore,  let  us  all,  all,  all 
believe,  and  perhaps  it  will  make  the  white  people's  God 
gracious  to  us,  and  our  souls  will  not  be  any  longer  devili- 
fied,  but  will  be  Christified,  and  we  shall  all,  all  go  to 
heaven." 

REMARKABLE    FAMILIARITY  \N7-ITH   THE   SCRIPTURES. 

Blind  Bartimeus,  of  whom  frequent  mention  is  made  in 
the  journals  of  the  Sandwich  Islands'  mission,  was  more 
than  thirty  years  old  before  he  knew  that  such  a  book  as 
the  Bible  existed,  and  yet,  says  the  missionary,  Mr.  Clarke, 
"  he  afterwards  became  more  familiar  with  its  contents  than 
any  person  I  ever  knew.  He  commenced  storing  his  mem- 
ory with  the  word  of  God  before  it  was  translated  into  his 


44  NATIVE   INTELLECT,   CAPACITY,   WIT,   ETC. 

native  tonp^no.  A  text  from  which  he  heard  a  missionary 
preach,  seldom  escaped  him.  Ho  could  repeat  it,  many 
years  after,  with  the  chapter  and  verse,  and  often,  also,  a 
large  part  of  the  discourse.  When  portions  of  the  Bible 
began  to  be  published  in  his  own  language,  he  would  re- 
quest his  wife  and  others  to  read  to  him.  In  this  way  he 
secured  the  precious  treasure  as  fast  as  it  was  published,  in 
a  language  which  he  understood.  And  so  accurate  was 
his  memory  that  he  Avould  sometimes  quote,  in  his  addresses 
to  the  people,  different  editions  of  the  New  Testament,  as 
changes  were  made  in  the  translation  from  time  to  time. 
He  would  first  tell  how  the  passage  stood  in  the  old  edition, 
then  in  the  new,  so  that  those  who  had  different  editions 
might  recognize  the  passage."  Mr.  Clarke  adds,  after 
noticing  the  happy  death  of  Bartimeus,  "  Could  we  know 
how  many  Hawaiians  have  been  saved  by  the  instrumen- 
tality of  this  individual,  well  might  we  exclaim,  at  how 
cheap  a  price  has  his  immortal  soul  been  purchased  by  the 
American  churches!  "  —  Miss.  Her.,  1844,  p.  145. 

AN   AFEICAN'S  ARGUMENT. 

Rev,  Mr.  Moffat,  of  the  South  Africa  mission,  states 
that  a  converted  native,  by  the  name  of  Mosheshe,  was 
addressing  his  countrymen  on  one  occasion,  when  he  used 
the  following  illustration  :  —  "  Ye  Makare  have  heard  these 
words,  and  you  say  they  are  lies.  If  these  words  do  not 
conquer,  the  fault  will  lie  with  you.  You  say  you  will  not 
believe  what  you  do  not  understand.  Look  at  an  egg.  If 
a  man  break  it,  there  comes  only  a  watery  and  yellow  sub- 
stance from  it ;  but  if  it  be  placed  under  the  wings  of  a 
fowl,  there  comes  a  living  thing  from  it.  Who  can  under- 
stand this  ?  Who  ever  knew  how  the  heat  of  the  hen  pro- 
duced the  chicken  in  the  egg?  This  is  incomprehensible  to 
us,  yet  we  do  not  deny  the  fact.  Let  us  do  like  the  hen. 
Let  us  place  these  truths  in  our  hearts,  as  the  hen  does  the 
egg  under  her  wings.  Let  us  sit  upon  them,  and  take  the 
same  pains,  and  something  new  will  come  of  them." — Miss, 
Labors  and  Scenes  in  South  Africa,  p.  611, 

AS  A  CAKE  OF    SUGAR, 

A  young  Brahmin  convert,  who  was  observed  to  spend 
much  time  in  reading  the  Bible,  was  asked  how  he  liked  it ; 
to  which  he  answered,  that  he  "  felt  it  as  a  cake  of  sugar  — 
no  side  of  it  bitter." 


NATIVE   SHKEWDNESS.  45 

SAYING   OP    AN  ARMENIAN. 

An  Armenian  convert,  Peshtiinaljan,  head  of  the  Arme- 
nian academy  at  Constantinople,  remarked,  that  "  When 
God  created  man,  he  made  him  in  his  own  image  ;  but  man 
has  reversed  the  order,  and  now  endeavors  to  make  God  in 
man's  image." — 3Iiss.  Her.,  April,  1837. 

THE    THATCHED  HEAD. 

As  an  instance  of  the  wit  and  humor  of  some  of  the 
South  Sea  Islanders,  the  following  amusing  incident  is 
related.  A  missionary,  who  had  labored  at  one  of  the 
islands,  and  who  was  quite  bald,  went  to  England,  where 
his  friends  fitted  him  to  a  nice  wig.  On  his  return,  after 
the  usual  salutations,  one  of  the  natives  said  to  him,  "  You 
were  bald  when  you  left,  and  now  you  have  a  beautiful  head 
of  hair.  What  amazing  people  the  English  are  !  How  did 
tliey  make  your  hair  grow  again  ?  "  —  "  You  simple  people," 
replied  the  missionary,  "how  does  everything  grow?  is  it 
not  by  sowing  seed?"  They  immediately  shouted,  "  0, 
these  English  people  !  they  sow  seed  upon  a  bald  man's 
head,  to  make  the  hair  grow  !  "  One  shrewd  fellow  inquired 
whether  he  had  brought  any  of  the  seed  with  him.  The 
good  missionary  carried  on  the  joke  for  a  short  time,  and 
then  took  oflF  his  wig.  The  revelation  of  his  original  head 
drew  forth  a  roar  of  laughter,  which  was  greatly  increased 
when  one  of  the  natives  shouted  to  his  countrymen,  "Here, 

see   Mr. ;  he  lias   come  from  England   ivith   his  head 

thatched!  he  has  come  from  England  with  his  head  thatched!  " 

NATIVE    SHREWDNESS. 

Some  years  since  a  trading  vessel,  while  sailing  among 
the  South  Sea  Islands,  heard  of  the  wreck  of  the  Falcon  at 
Rurutu,  a  Christian  island  ;  and,  understanding  that  there 
were  only  native  missionaries  there,  it  occurred  to  the  cap- 
tain that  he  could  easily  deceive  the  people  and  obtain  the 
wrecked  cargo.  He  therefore  steered  for  Rurutu,  and,  on 
landing,  was  welcomed  by  the  native  missionary,  to  whom 
he  stated  that  he  had  come  for  the  oil  belonging  to  the  late 
Falcon.  The  missionary  asked  him  if  he  had  not  a  letter 
from  Bcni  (Capt.  Chase).  "Certainly,"  said  he;  "but  I 
have  come  from  my  ship  without  it ;  I  will  return  for  it  im- 
mediately." He  went  off  to  his  vessel,  and  wrote  an  order, 
with  which  he  returned  to  the  shore.  Affirming  it  to  be 
from  Capt.  Chase,  he  put  it  into  the  hands  of  the  missionary. 


46  NATIVE    INTELLECT,    CAPACITY,    WIT,    ETC. 

The  natives  are  very  unsophisticated  at  times  in  the  expres- 
sion of  their  sentiments  ;  and,  looking  the  captain  sig'iiifi- 
cantly  in  the  face,  the  teaclier,  in  his  broken  English,  said, 
"  You  a  liar  —  you  a  thief —  you  w^ant  to  steal  this  property 
—  you  no  have  it  1  "  The  captain,  being  much  enraged  at 
this  salutation,  or  more  probably  at  being  disappointed  of 
his  expected  booty,  began  to  bluster  and  storm.  The 
teacher,  however,  took  the  captain  by  the  hand,  led  him  into 
his  house,  and  opened  his  native  journal,  in  which  he  had 
taken  the  precaution  to  get  Capt.  Chase  to  write.  Placing 
the  forged  paper  by  the  side  of  the  wanting  in  the  journal, 
he  repeated  his  charge.  "  You  a  liar  —  you  a  thief — you 
shall  not  have  this  property  1  "  The  captain  threatened  to 
go  to  his  vessel,  load  his  cannon,  and  take  the  property  by 
force  ;  but,  instead  of  this,  he  hoisted  his  sails  and  departed. 
Native  good  sense  was  more  than  a  match  for  the  piratical 
foreigner.  —  Williams^ s  Missionary  Enterprise  in  South  Sea 
Islands,  p.  64. 

THE    LITTLE   TEACHER. 

Mr.  Goodell,  of  Constantinople,  mentions  the  case  of  a 
little  girl,  four  yeai's  old,  whom  he  met  with  in  one  of  the 
Protestant  schools,  and  who,  when  it  came  her  turn,  read 
her  verses  in  the  New  Testament  with  as  much  facility  as 
the  older  scholars,  the  only  difficulty  being  that  she  was  too 
young  to  sjjeak  plain  1  Mr.  G.  further  learnt,  to  his  aston- 
ishment, that  this  little  girl  was  iha  teacher  of  her  mother ! 
This  mother,  having  learnt  thus,  from  her  own  little  babe, 
to  read  the  Bible,  and  having  been  taught,  also,  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  was  about  to  be  received  to  the  church. — Miss. 
Her.,  1847,  p.  212. 

EARLY  PROFICIENCY. 

As  showing  what  a  child  can  do,  it  is  related  of  a  little 
girl  nine  years  old,  at  Madura,  Southern  India,  that  she  had 
committed  to  memory  thirty  hymns,  and  eight  or  ten  chap- 
ters in  the  Scriptures  ;  a  book  of  nearly  three  hundred 
pages,  being  a  compendium  of  the  Bible  ;  three  or  four  cat- 
echisms, besides  going  through  with  the  whole  course  pur- 
sued in  the  mission  school.  As  a  monitor  and  assistant 
teacher,  she  had  also  rendered  important  service.  Few 
children,  at  such  an  age,  even  in  Christian  lands,  exhibit 
greater  capacity  and  progress  than  this  little  girl,  though 
born  to  heathenism. — Miss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  38. 


AN    ORIGINAL    INTERPEETATION.  4i\ 

NATIVE  TALENT  TESTED. 

The  converts  to  Christianity  in  Raiatea,  one  of  the  Soci- 
ety Islands,  and  the  largest  of  the  group,  were  many  of 
them  so  intelligent,  and  so  free  and  correct  in  their  conver- 
sation and  addresses,  that  the  ofiBcers  of  an  English  vessel 
then  in  port  were  led  to  question  their  originality,  and  to 
assert  that  they  were  mere  parrots,  repeating  only  what  Mr. 
Williams,  the  missionary,  had  taught  them.  To  test  this 
point,  Mr.  Williams  proposed  to  the  captain  and  chaplain 
of  the  vessel,  to  take  tea  at  his  house,  when  he  would  have 
ten  or  fifteen  of  the  native  Christians  present,  and  they 
might  answer  any  questions  that  should  be  proposed  to  them. 
This  was  agreed  to,  and  the  meeting  was  accordingly  held. 
The  natives  were  subjected  to  a  protracted  examination,  in 
which  they  acquitted  themselves  to  the  satisfliction  and 
surprise  of  their  sceptical  interrogators.  To  a  question  on 
the  divine  origin  and  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  several  had 
replied  in  a  thorough  manner ;  and  when  it  came  to  an  old 
priest,  then  a  devoted  Christian,  instead  of  replying  at  once, 
he  held  up  his  hands,  and  rapidly  moved  the  joints  of  his 
wrists  and  fingers,  then  opened  and  shut  his  mouth,  and 
closed  these  singular  actions  by  raising  his  leg,  and  moving 
it  in  various  directions.  Having  done  this,  he  said,  "  See,  I 
have  hinges  all  over  me  ;  if  the  thought  grows  in  my  heart, 
that  I  wish  to  handle  anything,  the  hinges  in  my  hands  ena- 
ble me  to  do  so  ;  if  I  want  to  utter  anything,  the  hinges  to 
my  jaws  enable  me  to  say  it ;  and  if  I  desire  to  go  anywhere, 
here  are  hinges  to  my  legs  to  enable  me  to  walk.  Now," 
continued  he,  "  I  perceive  great  wisdom  in  the  adaptation  of 
my  body  to  the  various  wants  of  my  mind  ;  and  when  I  look 
into  the  Bible,  and  see  there  proofs  of  wisdom  which  corre- 
spond exactly  with  those  which  appear  in  vaj  frame,  I  con- 
clude the  Maker  of  my  body  is  the  author  .of  that  book." 
After  a  trial  of  over  three  hours,  the  captain  and  chaplain 
were  convinced  that  the  convei'ts  were  not  "parrots,"  but 
spoke  from  their  own  native  force  of  mind  and  abundant 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  On  their  return  to  England, 
they  made  a  report,  highly  favorable  to  the  mission,  and  to 
the  character  of  converts.  —  Williams^s  Miss.  Researches  in 
South  Sea  Islands,  p.  227. 

AN  ORIGINAL  INTERPRETATION. 

A  learned  Hindoo,  in  Northern  India,  employed  as  a 
teacher  and  interpreter  by  the  missionaries,  became  deeply 


48  NATIVE   INTELLECT,  CAPACITY,  WIT,  ETC. 

interested  in  the  Christian  religion,  and  subsequently  trans- 
lated portions  of  the  Scriptures  into  his  native  dialect.  When 
translating'  the  parable  of  the  man  out  of  whom  the  unclean 
spirit  had  been  cast,  the  missionary  asked  him  if  he  under- 
stood what  it  meant ;  — to  which  he  replied,  "  Previous  to  a 
man's  knowing  and  professing  Christ,  one  devil  may  be 
said  to  dwell  in  his  heart.  But,  should  he  afterwards  deny 
Christ,  his  state  becomes  so  bad,  that  seven  devils  may  be 
said  to  have  entered  him  ;  and  his  punishment  will,  conse- 
quently, be  seven  times  gi-eater  than  it  would  have  been 
had  he  never  pi'ofessed  Christ."  — Eng.  Bap.  Miss.  Herald, 
Jan.,  1833. 

DEAD  BRAISrCHES. 

A  New  Zealand  convert,  on  being  examined  for  baptism  in 
1854,  said,  "  When  a  tree  is  grafted,  the  under  branches 
are  all  cut  off  and  thrown  away,  for,  if  not,  the  scion  would 
not  grow  ;  and  so  I  feel  that  it  will  be  of  no  use  for  me  to 
be  baptized,  unless  I  leave  off  theft  and  all  other  sins,  which 
have  been  to  me  as  the  old  branches  to  the  stock." 

LEABNIWO-  TJWDEB  DISCOURAGEMENTS. 

A  priest,  named  Dunka,  in  the  Koordish  mountains,  re- 
lated to  Mr.  Perkins,  of  the  Nestorian  mission,  the  circum- 
stances of  extreme  difficulty  and  discouragement  under 
which  he  acquired  knowledge  when  quite  a  boy.  His  father 
was  violentl}^  opposed  to  his  reading  the  psalter,  and  would 
wrest  it  from  him,  with  a  blow  on  the  head,  whenever  he 
found  him  perusing  it.  He  had  learned  his  letters  from  an 
uncle,  and  when  he  went  out  daily  to  look  after  the  flock  (for 
that  was  his  business),  he  would  take  his  psalter  secretly, 
and  study  it  all  day,  while  watching  his  flock  in  the  wild 
Koordish  mountains.  In  this  way  he  committed  the  whole 
of  the  Psalms  to  memory,  and  learned  to  spell  all  the  words. 
He  continued  to  learn,  became  distinguished  for  his  attain- 
ments, and  was  ordained  a  priest.  He  was  a  warm  friend 
of  the  missionaries. — Miss.  Herald,  1840,  p.  487. 

DEFENCE  OP  HEATHENISM. 

Said  a  heathen,  who  had  listened  to  a  conversation  be- 
tween Dr.  Poor  and  a  priest,  "  One  hundred  persons  obtain 
their  livelihood  from  that  temple  ;  how  then  can  they  repent 
and  become  Chi-istians?  "  This  remark  was  based  on  some 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  which  is  the  same  in  heathen 
as  in  Christian  climes. 


NO   GOOD   WILL   TO   THE  FISHES.  49 

COMPARISON". 

A  converted  Hindoo,  on  being  assailed  with  a  torrent  of 
profane  and  obscene  words  from  his  idolatrous  neighbors, 
went  up  to  them  and  asked,  "  Which  is  worse,  the  abusive 
terms  that  you  are  just  using,  or  the  mud  and  dirt  that  you 
see  lying  on  yon  dung-hill  ?  "  —  "  The  abusive  terms,"  was 
the  reply.  "  And  would  you  ever  take  into  your  mouths  the 
mud  and  dirt?"  —  "Never." — "  Then  why  do  you  fill  your 
mouths  with  the  abusive  terms,  which  you  confess  to  be 
worst  of  the  two  ?  "  Confounded  with  this  rebuke,  they 
retired,  saying  that  "the  argument  was  but  fair."  —  "Rec- 
ord;' of  Free  Ch.  of  Scot.,  1850. 

AN"  APEICAN'S   QUESTION. 

An  African  woman,  who  had  heard  the  missionary  preach, 
inquired  of  him,  with  much  apparent  solicitude,  "  VV^hen  the 
missionary  returns  home  does  he  tell  God  about  us,  and  in 
what  manner  we  have  received  his  word  ?  " 

WINE-DRINKING,  IN  EASTERN  METAPHOR. 

The  Bishop  of  Ooroomia,  to  show  that  he  and  his  people 
understood  the  subject  of  temperance,  brought  forward  one 
of  their  sacred  books,  written  in  the  ancient  Syriac,  and 
read  a  long  passage,  a  part  of  which  was  in  the  following 
words:  "Guard  thyself  in  drinking  wine;  gird  up  thy 
loins  like  a  man,  lest  it  steal  thee  from  thyself.  The  begin- 
ning of  drinking  wine  is  like  a  fox  ;  the  middle  of  it  like  an 
elephant ;  the  end  a  fool,  a  blockhead,  and  so  stupid  as  to 
be  nothing  different  from  a  swine,  or  an  ass's  colt."  The 
simile  needs  no  interpretation.  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1839,  p.  449. 

W"0  GOOD  WILL  TO  THE  FISHES. 

A  patriarch  at  Constantinople  came  out,  on  a  certain 
Sabbath,  with  bold  denunciations  against  the  Gospel  and 
the  missionaries,  and  used  the  following  illustration : 
"When  fishermen  go  out  to  take  fish  with  the  hook,  they 
always  employ  a  bait.  They  put  something  on  the  hook 
which  is  very  attractive  ;  and  it  might  appear  that  it  was 
love  for  the  fishes,  and  a  desire  to  satisfy  their  appetites, 
that  led  the  fishermen  to  do  this.  But  their  real  motive  is 
not  at  all  one  of  benevolence,  but  of  selfishness.  They 
wish  to  take  the  fishes  for  their  own  bellies.  It  is  pre- 
cisely so  with  the  Protestants.  Their  bait  is  the  Gospel, 
and  they  pi'ofess  to  seek  the  good  of  the  people  ;  but  their 
5 


50  NATIVE   INTELLECT,    CAPACITY,   WIT,   ETC. 

real  object  is  to  pluck  up  and  desti-oy."  This  illustration, 
thougU  falsely  applied  by  the  patriarch,  is  an  ingenious  one, 
and  may  be  used  with  great  force  in  certain  directions.  — 
Miss.  Her.,  1844,  p.  355. 

DOING  APPKOPEIATE  WOKE. 

About  the  year  1838,  there  was  considerable  complaint, 
in  the  American  churches,  that  the  missionaries  of  the 
Board  turned  aside  from  their  appropriate  work  to  attend 
upon  schools,  printing  establishments,  &c.  This  became  a 
frequent  topic  of  remark  at  the  mission  stations,  and  one 
day  a  missionary  at  Ceylon  said  to  a  catechist,  "  The 
people  in  America  say  to  us,  we  send  you  to  preach  the 
Gosi^el,  but  you  teach  schools,  make  books,  &c.  What 
have  you  to  say  by  way  of  answer?"  He  replied,  "I 
called  a  carpenter  to  make  a  door  for  my  house,  and  he 
brought  an  adze,  planes,  &c.  ;  I  rebuked  him, saying,  I  told 
you  to  come  and  make  a  door  —  I  did  not  tell  you  to  bring 
adzes  and  planes,  nor  to  work  with  them."  Soon  after, 
another  assistant  came  in,  not  knowing  what  had  been  said, 
and  I  repeated  the  complaint  of  the  American  churches 
(says  the  missionary),  and  asked  him  what  answer  I  should 
give.  He  said,  "  I  sent  my  servant  to  the  field  to  farm  it, 
and  he  went  and  dug  out  the  stones,  and  ploughed  the  field, 
and  put  on  manure,  and  then  I  turned  him  off,  saying,  I  sent 
you  to  make  a  farm,  and  not  to  dig  stones,  nor  put  on  ma- 
nure."—Mss.  Her.,  Maij,  1838. 

A  HINDOO'S  IDEA  OF  RELIGION". 

A  missionary  at  Bangalore,  India,  finding  a  portion  of 
his  hearers  disposed  to  attend  to  religion,  but  deterred  by 
the  fear  of  man,  urged  them  to  come  out  from  the  world  and 
trust  in  God,  when  one  of  them  replied,  "I  cannot  do 
this  all  at  once.  Wait  a  little.  As  a  sculptor  bestows 
much  pains  on  a  statue,  giving  it  many  touches  with  the 
chisel  before  it  attains  perfection,  so  must  you  work  upon 
me  again  and  again,  and  by  and  by  your  work  will  be 
completed."  —  Miss.  Chrvnicie,  1849,  p.  23. 

HOT  HEARTS. 

A  Chinese  convert,  in  conversation  with  a  missionary, 
remarked,  "  We  want  men  with  hot  hearts  to  tell  us  of 
the  love  of  Christ." 


THE   NESTORIAN   CHILD'S   HEART.  51 

THE  NESTORIAN"  CHILD'S  HEART. 

It  is  a  serious  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  hearts  of  little 
heathen  children  are  uuimpressible,  and  that  it  matters  little 
to  them  whether  they  have  kind  teachers  and  tender  treat- 
ment, or  not.  No  children  in  the  world  appreciate  privi- 
leges more  than  they,  the  moment  they  begin  to  emerge 
from  heathen  darkness.  This  is  affectingly  illustrated  in  the 
following  narrative.  In  the  female  school  at  Ooroomiah,  under 
the  care  of  Miss  Fiske,  were  some  twenty  or  thirty  children, 
gathered  from  neglected  and  degraded  classes,  and  looking, 
after  pretty  thorough  external  improvements,  like  another 
race.  Those  who  had  known  them  before  were  amazed  at  the 
change  ;  and  some  of  their  simple-hearted  mothers  thought 
their  children  had  grown  very  pretty  since  attending  school. 
Again  and  again  they  would  ask,  "How  do  you  make  them 
so  white  ?"  —  not  having  known  much  about  the  wonderful 
properties  of  clean  water.  A  corresponding  change  took 
place  in  their  minds,  their  feelings,  and  their  behavior.  It 
was  soon  found  that  those  children  who  had  been  supposed 
to  love  nothing  and  care  for  nothing,  were  yielding  up  their 
hearts  to  their  teachers  in  the  most  tender  and  confiding 
manner,  and,  especially  when  the  attempt  was  made  to  break 
those  ties,  it  was  seen  how  strongly  those  young  affections 
were  entwined  around  their  objects.  An  order  was  issued 
for  all  readers  to  leave  the  premises,  and  the  dissolution  of 
the  school  became  a  painful  necessity.  Miss  Fiske  sent  for 
the  children,  and  announced  to  them  the  decision.  A  gen- 
eral burst  of  grief  followed,  and  the  tears  and  sobs  of  the 
children  told,  more  plainly  than  language  could  have  done, 
the  deep  sorrow  of  their  hearts.  "  Nor  did  they  weep 
alone,"  says  a  missionary.  "  We  could  not  restrain  our 
own  tears.  And  who  would  not  weep  at  such  a  scene  ?  " 
There  were  a  company  of  bright,  happy  faces,  turned  with 
hope  and  love  to  their  new  friends,  and  giving  high  promise 
for  the  future,  about  to  be  turned  back  to  their  former  dark- 
ness, filth,  and  misery.  "The  stoutest  hearts  of  the  Nesto- 
rians,  who  were  standing  b3^  were  melted,  and  those  who 
were  unused  to  weeping  let  fall  the  tear  of  sj^mpathy.  After 
commending  these  tender  lambs  to  the  gracious  Shepherd 
of  Israel,  they  began  to  make  their  preparations  for  leaving 
ns.  The  most  trying  moment,  however,  was  yet  before 
them  —  the  parting  of  pupil  from  pupil,  and  from  those  who 
had  for  months  taken  the  place  of  their  parents.  When 
they  were  ready  to  leave,  they  threw  their  arms  around  the 


52  NATIVE   INTELLECT,    CAPACITY,   WIT,   ETC. 

neck  of  their  teacher,  and  there  poured  forth  the  bitterness 
of  their  grief.  It  seemed  as  if  they  could  never  unclasp 
their  folded  arms,  and  consent  to  go  away.  With  aftecting 
earnestness  they  said,  again  and  again,  '  We  shall  never 
hear  the  words  of  God  more.'  Weeping  they  left  us,  and 
the  breezes  boi'e  back  their  mournful  sigTis  when  they  were 
out  of  si>rht."  When  the  patriarch's  brothers,  who  had 
ordered  this  dispersion,  heard  of  the  aftecting  separation, 
they  lamented  their  own  act,  and  said  they  had  no  intention 
of  bringing  to  pass  such  a  scene.  Measures  were  accord- 
ingly soon  taken  to  reassemble  the  children  ;  and  in  a  month 
or  two  they  and  their  teacher  were  rejoicing  together  with 
a  new  and  peculiar  joy.  Their  parents,  also,  sympathized 
in  their  children's  happiness,  and  many  other  Nestorian 
families,  having  through  this  event  become  impressed  with 
the  advantages  of  the  school,  applied  for  the  admission  of 
their  children  ;  so  that  on  the  whole  good  resulted  from  the 
trial.  It  is  natural  to  reflect,  that,  if  heathen  children, 
after  a  few  months'  training,  are  susceptible  of  such  culti- 
vation and  refinement  of  feeling,  vastly  more  ought  to  be 
done  for  them  by  the  children  and  mothers  of  Christian 
lands.— 3Iiss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  232. 

RBPBOOF  — NATIVE  GOOD   SENSE. 

Kev.  Mr.  Williams  says,  "I  was  standing  one  day  by 
Tamatoa  (a  South  Sea  Island  king),  when  the  fishing-canoes 
returned  with  a  quantity  of  salmon.  These  were  deposited 
in  his  presence  ;  and  one  of  the  domestics,  by  his  master's 
order,  began  to  set  apart  a  number  for  the  various  chiefs, 
according  to  the  usual  custom.  While  he  was  doing  this,  a 
petty  chief  took  a  large  fish  from  the  pile  ;  on  seeing  Avhich 
the  servant  immediately  seized  it,  and  muttered  something 
in  a  very  growling  tone  of  voice.  Tamatoa  noticed  this, 
and  asked  the  man  why  he  did  so  ?  '  That  fellow,'  he  re- 
plied, '  refused  to  give  me  some  bread-fruit  the  other  day, 
and  now  he  comes  to  take  our  fish  ! '  The  king  then  ordered 
him  to  select  two  of  the  finest  salmon,  and  give  them  cheer- 
fully to  the  chief  The  man  grumbled,  and  very  reluctantly 
obeyed  the  order.  Shortly  afterwards,  Tamatoa  called  on 
his  servant,  and  said,  '  You  foolish  fellow,  do  yon  not  per- 
ceive that,  by  this  act,  the  unkindness  of  that  man  will  be 
reproved,  and  that  he  will  be  ashamed  to  refuse  you  any- 
thing the  next  time  you  go  ?  '  I  immediately  turned  to  the 
king,  and  whispered,  '  Why,  j'ou  are  as  wise  as  Solomon  ; 


THE   INDIAN   MOTHER'S   LAMENT.  53 

for  he  says,  "If  thine  enemy  be  hungry,  give  him  bread 
to  eat ;  and  if  he  be  thirsty,  give  him  water  to  drink,  for 
thou  shalt  heap  coals  of  fire  upon  his  head."  '  —  '  True,'  he 
replied,  '  that 's  the  way  to  conquer  people.'  "  —  Missionary 
Enterprise,  p.  463. 

THE   INDIAN"  MOTHER'S  LAMENT. 

The  following  paraphrase  of  a  Dakota  mother's  lament, 
containing  passages  of  great  beauty,  was  prepared  some 
years  since  for  the  Dakotah  Friend: 

"  My  daughter  !  my  daughter!  Alas!  alas!  My  hope, 
my  comfort  has  departed  ;  my  heart  is  very  sad.  My  joy 
is  turned  into  sorrow,  and  my  song  into  wailing.  Shall  I 
never  behold  thy  sunny  smiles  ?  Shall  I  never  more  hear  the 
music  of  thy  voice  ?  The  Great  Spirit  has  entered  my  lodge 
in  anger,  and  taken  from  me  my  first-born  child.  I  am 
comfortless,  and  must  wail  out  my  grief.  The  pale-faces 
repress  their  sorrow ;  but  we  children  of  nature  must  give 
vent  to  ours  or  die.     My  daughter  !  my  daughter  ! 

"  The  light  of  my  eyes  is  extinguished.  All,  all  is  dark. 
I  have  cast  from  me  all  comfortable  clothing,  and  robed 
myself  in  comfortless  skins ;  for  no  clothing,  no  fire  can 
warm  thee,  my  daughter.  Unwashed  and  uncombed,  I 
will  mourn  for  thee,  whose  long  locks  I  can  never  more 
braid,  and  whose  cheeks  I  can  never  again  tinge  with  ver- 
milion. I  will  cut  off  my  dishevelled  hair,  for  my  grief  is 
great,  my  daughter !  my  daughter !  How  can  I  survive 
thee  ?  How  can  I  be  happy,  and  you  a  homeless  wanderer 
to  the  spirit  land  ?  How  can  I  eat,  if  you  are  hungry  ?  I 
will  go  to  the  grave  with  food  for  your  spirit.  Your  bowl 
and  spoon  are  placed  in  your  coffin  for  use  on  the  journey. 
The  feast  of  your  playmates  has  been  made  at  the  place  of 
interment.  Knowest  thou  of  their  presence  ?  My  daugh- 
ter !  my  daughter  ! 

"  When  spring  returns,  the  choicest  of  ducks  shall  be 
your  portion.  Sugar  and  berries,  also,  shall  be  placed  near 
your  grave.  Neither  grass  nor  flowers  shall  be  allowed  to 
grow  thereon.  Affection  for  thee  will  keep  the  little 
mound  desolate,  like  the  heart  from  which  thou  art  torn. 
My  daughter,  I  come,  I  come.  I  bring  you  parched  corn. 
0,  how  long  will  you  sleep  !  The  wintry  winds  wail  your 
requiem.  The  cold  eai-th  is  your  bed,  and  the  colder  snow 
your  covering.  I  would  that  they  were  mine  !  I  will  he 
down  by  thy  side.  I  will  sleep  once  more  with  thee.  If  no 
5* 


54  NATIVE   INTELLECT,    CAPACITY,   WIT,   ETC. 

one  discovers  me,  I  shall  soon  be  as  cold  as  thou  art ;  and 
together  we  will  sleep  that  long,  long  sleep  from  which  I 
cannot  wake  thee,  my  daughter!  my  daughter  I" — Jour, 
of  Miss.,  1856,  p.  42. 

AFKICAN  ELOQUENCE. 

Rev.  Mr.  Moffat,  who  has  become  very  familiar  with  the 
people  of  Southern  Africa,  describes  an  interview  with  a 
native  chief,  which  shows  that  there  is  mind  in  that  region 
of  a  high  order.  In  speaking  of  the  treatment  which  the 
earliest  inhabitants  of  the  Trans  Vaal  Sovereignty  have 
received  from  the  Boers  of  late,  and  also  from  the  English, 
this  rude  orator  uses  the  following  indignant  language : 
"  Do  you  not  see  that,  without  a  fault  on  our  part,  we  have 
been  shot  down  like  game  ?  Do  you  not  see  that  we  are 
reduced  to  poverty  by  the  Boers,  who  are  eating  our  meat 
and  drinking  our  milk  ?  Where  are  our  children  ?  When 
fathers  and  mothers  lie  down  at  night  they  ask,  '  Where  are 
our  children  ?  '  When  they  rise  in  the  morning  they  ask, 
'  Where  are  our  sons  and  our  daughters  ?  '  And,  because 
there  is  none  to  answer,  they  weep.  They  have  wept  this 
morning.  They  will  weep  again  to-night.  Are  the  Boers 
to  be  permitted  to  kill  us,  that  our  children  may  become 
their  slaves  ?  Did  we  ever  injure  them  ?  If  we  did,  let 
the  Boer  whom  we  injured,  or  whose  sheep  and  goats  we 
stole,  come  and  bear  witness.  Is  it  because  we  have  not 
white  skins  that  we  are  to  be  destroyed  like  beasts  of  prey  ? 
Why  do  the  English  assist  the  Boers  ?  Why  do  they  give 
them  power  over  lands  that  are  not  theirs  to  give  ?  Why 
do  the  English  supply  them  with  ammunition,  when  they 
know  the  Boers  ?  You  have  spoken  about  what  the  word 
of  God  says  :  have  not  the  English  the  word  of  God  ?  And 
have  not  the  Boers  the  word  of  God  ?  Are  we  alone  to 
obey  the  word  of  God,  because  we  are  black  ?  Are  white 
people  not  to  obey  the  word  of  God,  because  they  are 
white  ?  We  are  told  that  the  English  love  all  men.  They 
give  or  sell  ammunition,  horses  and  guns,  to  the  Boers,  who 
have  bloody  teeth  to  destroy  us  ;  and  if  we  ask  to  buy 
powder,  we  can  get  none.  No,  no,  no  ;  black  men  must 
have  no  ammunition  ;  they  must  serve  the  white  man.  Is 
tliis  their  love  ?  The  English  are  not  friends  to  the  black 
man.  If  I  am  accusing  the  English  or  tlie  Boers  falsely, 
tell  me.  Are  these  things  not  so  ?  You  know  all  these 
things  better  than  we  do." 


AFRICAN  ELOQUENCE.  55 

Not  only  is  intellect  displayed  in  this  touching  discourse, 
but  also  a  keen  sense  of  injustice  and  wrong,  and  a  percep- 
tion of  the  inconsistency  and  wickedness  of  white  men, 
who,  while  enforcing-  a  Gospel  of  good  will,  inflict  the  most 
unprovoked  and  terrible  injuries.  Would  that  nominal 
Christians,  English  and  American,  who  deny  to  the  native 
negro  both  intellect  and  sensibility,  had  as  high  an  appreci- 
ation of  honor  and  right  as  this  pleading  African ! 


DOGMAS,  CAVILS,  OBJECTIONS,  ETC. 


The  measure  of  learning,  logic,  cunning,  and  artifice,  often 
employed  by  the  heathen  against  the  doctrines  of  Christian- 
ity, are  such  as  to  put  the  theology  and  ingenuity  of  mission- 
aries to  the  severest  test.  Especially  is  this  the  case  in 
India  ;  and  it  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  state  that  the  Rev. 
Miron  Winslow,  while  examining  the  present  work  in  manu- 
script, took  special  note  of  this  chapter,  as  presenting  a 
correct  view  of  the  principal  dogmas  and  cavils  which  he 
himself  had  been  familiar  with  for  nearly  forty  years  in  that 
vast  field  of  idolatry.  The  idea,  sometimes  entertained, 
that  even  dulness  itself,  if  "  good,"  may  go  on  a  foreign 
mission,  is  refuted  by  the  most  experienced  missionaries,  as 
well  as  by  the  testimony  given  below. 

A  HINDOO  DOGMA  KEFUTED. 

That  God  is  the  author  of  sin,  is  a  dogma  which  learned 
Hindoos  have  over  insisted  upon  with  the  utmost  pertinac- 
ity. Some  idea  of  their  reasoning  on  this  point  may  be 
gathered  from  a  dialogue  related  by  Rev.  A.  F.  Lacroix,  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society,  at  Calcutta,  between  him- 
self and  a  distinguished  Brahmin.  (See  London  Missionary 
Magazine  for  January,  1847.)  The  discussion  took  place  at 
the  receipt  of  customs,  before  a  crowded  auditor^',  pretty 
much,  Mr.  L.  says,  in  the  following  strain  : 

Missionary.  Pray,  Brahmin,  do  you  acknowledge  that 
God  is  the  Master,  not  only  of  his  irrational,  but  also  of 
his  rational  creatures,  and  that  he  has  given  them  laws  to 
keep  ? 

Brahmin.    Certainly,  he  is  their  master,  and  has  not  only 


A    HINDOO    DOGMA    REFUTED.  57 

given  them  laws,  but  prepared  a  place  of  bliss  for  those  who 
keep  them  ;  and  he  has  said,  moreover,  that  those  who  do 
not  obey  them  shall  be  severely  punished  in  this  life,  and 
also  in  the  next. 

3Iiss.  Very  well ;  I  am  happy  to  hear  you  say  so.  But 
I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  say  that  God  is  the  author  of  sin, 
because  that  is  untrue,  and  I  hope  to  prove  it  to  be  so. 
Let  me,  therefore,  put  this  question  to  you,  —  Is  God  pos- 
sessed of  supreme  wisdom,  or  not  ? 

Brah.  0  yes,  God  is  supremely  wise.  Who  ever  doubted 
that? 

3Iiss.  There  is  a  man  here  present  who  not  only  doubts 
whether  God  be  wise,  but  who  positivel}"-  asserts  that  he  is 
not.  Who  that  man  is  you  will  presently  ascertain.  Tell 
me,  what  would  you  think  of  one  who  spent  much  money 
and  took  great  trouble  to  build  a  house  for  his  own  resi- 
dence and  that  of  his  flimily,  and  who,  the  moment  the 
house  was  ready,  would  himself  put  fire  to  it  and  completely 
destroy  it  ? 

Brail.  I  have  never  heard  of  such  a  man  ;  but,  if  such  a 
man  ever  existed,  he  must  have  been  a  madman. 

3Iiss.  Well,  sir,  consider  whether  you  do  not  ascribe  to 
God  an  equal  want  of  understanding,  when  you  say  that  he 
has  given  laws  to  men  to  keep,  and  has  prepared  a  heaven 
for  those  who  keep  them,  but  who  himself  prompts  them  to 
break  those  very  laws,  and  thereby  renders;-  them  liable  to 
be  consigned  to  the  fire  of  hell ! 

Brah.    You  may  say  so  to  a  certain  degree. 

Miss.  I  have  not  done  yet ;  for  I  wish,  before  all  these 
people,  to  sift  the  subject  to  the  bottom.  Do  you  hold  that 
God  is  pure  and  holy ;  that  is,  that  he  loves  that  which  is 
good  and  right,  and  hates  murder,  theft,  adultery,  injustice, 
and  such  like  things  ? 

Brah.    Certainly  I  do. 

Miss.  Now,  if  God  be  pure,  and  loves  holiness,  and  hates 
sin,  how  is  it  possible  that  he  should  prompt  men  to  do  that 
which  he  hates  ?  Would  you.  Brahmin,  for  instance,  insti- 
gate a  robber  to  plunder  your  house,  and  kill  your  wife  and 
children  ? 

Brah.  Not  I !  How  could  I  instigate  a  man  to  do  things 
which  I  so  utterly  abhor  ? 

Miss.  No  more  will  God  ever  induce  men  to  commit  sin, 
which  is  so  opposed  to  his  nature. 

Brah.    If  you  have  anything  more  to  say,  say  on. 


58  DOGMAS,   CAVILS,   OBJECTIONS,   ETC. 

Hiss.  Yes  ;  I  have  a  great  deal  more  to  say.  Tell  me, 
Brahmin,  is  God  just  ? 

Brail.    God  is  just ;  all  pundits  will  say  so. 

Miss.  But,  by  your  saying  that  God  is  the  author  of  sin, 
you  make  him  unjust  to  the  utmost  degree  ;  for  you  say 
that  he  punishes  the  wicked,  while,  according  to  your  tenet, 
man  has  no  demerit,  for  God  causes  him  to  sin.  What 
would  you  say  of  me,  if  I  ordered  one  of  my  boatmen  to  go 
and  fetch  my  umbrella  ;  and  if,  on  his  bringing  that  article 
to  me,  I  beat  him  unmercifully,  saying,  "0,  you  wicked 
man,  why  did  you  bring  this  umbrella  to  me  ?  " 

Brah.  I  would  say  that  you  were  a  very  unjust  man,  in- 
deed ;  because  you  punished  your  boatman  for  doing  what 
you  yourself  ordered  him  to  do. 

Miss.  Now  apply  this  to  God  punishing  sinners.  Is  it 
not  very  unjust  for  him  to  punish  them  for  what  they  never 
would  have  done  of  their  own  accord,  but  did  only  because 
lie  caused  them  to  do  so  ? 

Brah.  God  is  full  of  love  and  mercy,  for  he  feeds  men 
and  beasts,  and  supports  all. 

Miss.  Now  let  me  tell  you  that,  when  you  say  God  is  the 
author  of  sin,  you  make  him  the  most  unmerciful  of  all 
beings  ;  for  you  well  know  that  every  suffering  which  men 
endure  in  this  life  and  the  next  is  occasioned  by  sin.  If, 
therefore,  God  causes  men  to  sin,  is  he  not  inflicting  upon 
them  the  greatest  injury  imaginable,  and  does  he  not  show 
himself  to  be  their  greatest  enemy  ?  AVhat  would  you 
think  of  a  man  who  secretly  put  poison  in  your  food,  and 
thus  caused  you  to  die  amidst  the  most  intense  pain  and 
agony  ? 

Brah.  How  can  you  ask  such  a  question  ?  That  man 
would  be  most  cruel  to  me,  and  I  do  not  believe  I  have  such 
an  enemy. 

Miss.  Well,  sin  is  that  poison,  and  when  you  say  God  is 
the  autlior  of  it,  you  make  him  most  cruel,  and  more  un- 
principled than  even  your  worst  enemy.  Are  you  prepared 
to  acknowledge  this  'I 

Brah.  I  am  not  prepared  to  assert  it,  and  yet  I  am  not 
cojivinced,  for  when  I  am  sinning  I  am  doing  it  with  the 
members  which  God  has  given  me,  and  therelbre  it  appears 
to  me  that  he  is  the  author  of  the  sin. 

3Iiss.  I  grant  that  it  is  God  wlio  has  given  you  your 
mind,  your  speech,  and  all  your  faculties  ;  but  wliy  has  he 
given  them  to  you  ?     Certainly  not  tliat  you  should  use  them 


A   HINDOO   DOGMA   EEFUTED.  59 

in  sinning,  but  that  j^ou  should  perform  his  service  and  glo- 
rify him.  Suppose,  Brahmin,  that,  on  leaving  home  this 
morning,  you  had  given  a  rupee  to  your  servant  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  some  necessary  article  for  your  fam- 
ily, and  that  on  your  return  you  should  find  that,  instead  of 
fulfilling  your  orders  with  that  rupee,  your  servant  had 
spent  it  in  drinking,  or  other  evil  practices.  Would  you 
not  hold  him  to  be  very  guilty  ? 

Brah.  Most  certainly  I  would  ;  and  that  not  merely,  but 
I  would  punish  him  in  a  way  that  he  would  long  remember. 

Miss.  But  if  the  servant  told  you,  "  Master,  I  am  not  to 
blame,  for  it  was  you  gave  me  the  rupee  which  I  spent  in 
bad  practices,"  —  would  you  not  then  at  once  declare  your 
servant  innocent  ? 

Brah.  Innocent,  indeed!  No;  I  would  tell  him,  "You 
good-for-nothing  fellow  I  was  it  to  get  drunk  with  it  that  I 
gave  you  that  rupee  ?  Was  it  not  to  buy  provisions  ?  " 
But  3'et  I  am  not  wholly  satisfied,  and  if  you  will  not  be 
quite  angry,  I  wish  to  ask.  one  question  more.  Why  does 
not  God  prevent  men  from  sinning  ?  He  could  easily  do  it, 
as  he  is  omnipotent. 

Miss.  Tell  me,  would  you  like  to  be  a  stone,  a  tree,  or  a 
horse,  rather  than  a  man  ? 

Brah.  No,  not  I.  I  prefer  being  a  man,  for  the  shasters 
say  that  the  state  of  man  is  the  highest  to  which  any  being 
can  attain  on  earth. 

Miss.  This  is  so  far  correct ;  but  why  is  a  man  superior 
to  the  brutes,  or  to  inanimate  things  ?  It  is  because  he  has 
a  rational  soul  and  a  free  will,  which  inferior  creatures  have 
not.  If,  therefore,  God  did,  by  mere  force  and  compulsion, 
prevent  men  from  sinning,  it  would  be  tantamount  to  mak- 
ing them  like  stones,  trees,  and  horses,  which  have  no  will 
of  their  own,  but  act  only  as  they  are  moved  ;  and  you 
yourself.  Brahmin,  said  this  moment  that  you  preferred 
being  a  man  to  such  a  mere  machine. 

Brah.  This  will  do,  sir.  I  beg  to  take  leave,  for  I  see  it 
is  time  for  me  to  go  to  my  dinner. 

Mr.  Lacroix  adds,  "There  is,  perhaps,  not  a  doctrine  of 
ITindooism  which  oilers  greater  impediments  to  the  Gospel, 
than  this  pantheistic  one,  that  God  is  the  author  of  sin.  A 
Saviour,  to  persons  holding  this  tenet,  is  an  utter  absurd- 
ity." 

The  foregoing  discussion  is  instructive,  not  only  as  show- 
ing what  sort  of  opponents  the  missionary  has  often  to 


60  DOGMAS,    CAVILS,    OBJECTIONS,   ETC. 

meet,  but  also  as  indicating  the  kind  of  theology  which  comes 
in  play  on  heathen  ground.  Trammelled  with  the  dogma 
of  physical  depravity,  total  inability,  or  necessitated  human 
actions,  the  missionary  would  have  stood  a  poor  chance 
with  the  shrewd  Brahmin.  And  should  not  the  theology  of 
the  Christian  pulpit  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  "  receipt  of 
customs  "  in  Calcutta,  in  order  to  disarm  the  natural  mind 
of  its  cavils  and  objections  ? 

A  HINDOO  GAVILEB.  SILENCED. 

As  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  was  one  day  addressing  a  company 
of  Hindoos  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  a  Brahmin  said  to 
him,  "  Sir,  don't  you  say  that  the  devil  tempts  men  to 
sin?"  —  "  Yes,"  was  the  reply.  "Then,"  said  the  Brah- 
min, "it  is  the  devil's  fault,  and  the  devil  ought  to  be  pun- 
ished, and  not  man."  Just  then  a  boat  was  coming  down 
the  river,  and  Mr.  Thomas  said,  "  Brahmin,  do  j^ou  see  that 
boat  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  —  "  Suppose  I  were  to  send  my  servants 
to  destroy  the  boat  and  all  on  -board ;  who  ought  to  sufler 
punishment  —  I  for  inducing  them  to  go,  or  they  for  the 
wicked  act  ?  "  —  "  Wh}'',"  answered  the  Brahmin,  "  you 
ought  all  to  be  put  to  death  together."  —  "Ay,"  replied 
Mr.  Thomas,  "  and  if  you  and  the  devil  sin  together,  you 
and  the  devil  must  be  punished  together,"  —  Pres.  For. 
Miss.,  1853,  p.  88. 

LET    US    ALONE. 

The  sceptic  and  the  man  of  the  world  will  often  shield 
themselves  against  the  truth  with  the  plea  that  their  religion 
is  a  private  affair,  and  nobody's  business  ;  so  claiming  to  be 
let  alone.  It  may  help  such  to  know  that  the  heathen  are 
of  the  same  opinion.  On  one  occasion  some  Hindoo  idola- 
ters remonstrated  with  the  missionary  for  attempting  to 
teach  them  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  "  Why,"  said 
they,  "  do  you  trouble  us  with  your  doctrines  ?  AVe  know 
that  our  gods  are  stones,  but  it  is  no  Inisiness  of  j^ours  to 
tell  us  so.  We  do  not  want  to  believe  in  Christ.  Our 
fathers  are  happy  because  they  died  in  ignorance  ;  but  you 
make  us  wretched  b}^  dispelling  our  ignorance,  and  making 
us,  contrary  to  our  inclinations,  to  inquire  and  to  speak  of 
these  things."  On  another  occasion,  in  the  same  neiglibor- 
hood,  while  a  missionary  was  preaching,  a  chitty  (mer- 
chant) came  up  to  him,  and  bade  him  be  gone,  and  not  pol- 
lute the  sacred  precincts  of  the  temple  of  the  gods.     The 


HINDOO   OBJECTIONS   TO    CHRISTIANITY.  61 

missionary  asked  him  if  he  could  conscientiously  call  the 
stone  a  god.  "  I  know,"  he  replied,  "  it  is  not ;  but  we  do 
not  want  you  to  tell  us  so.  This  is  too  bad  ;  why  cannot 
you  leave  iis  alone  ?  "  Thus  it  is  found  to  be  true,  that 
even  the  heathen  resist  their  own  convictions,  sin  wilfully, 
and  clamor  to  be  let  alone  in  their  idolatry, — London  Mitis. 
Mag.,  1841,  p.  112. 

NOTHING   TO   DO  "WITH   MORALS. 

A  missionary  in  Syria  says  that  on  reproving  people  for 
fiilsehood,  dishonesty,  and  the  grossest  immoralities,  they 
often  answer,  "  This  has  nothing  to  do  with  religion  ;  it 
is  a  worldly  concern."  The  pi-iests  have  little  or  nothing 
to  do  with  the  moral  character  of  the  people.  Their  busi- 
ness, says  the  missionary,  is  with  religion,  and  not  with 
morality.  Such  priests  would  be  genial  company  for  some 
in  Christendom,  who  assume,  in  practice,  that  business  and 
politics  are  one  thing,  religion  another!  —  Miss.  Her.,  1836, 
Quar.  Paper. 

THROWING  BACK  THE  BLAME. 

Says  Mr.  Yate,  of  the  New  Zealand  mission:  —  "After 
sermon,  one  Lord's  day,  some  of  our  native  boys  came  to 
me  and  said,  '  Well,  if  it  be  true  what  you  have  now  said, 
we  are  none  of  us  Christians,'  or,  as  they  express  it,  '  Christ- 
ified.'  They  added,  '  Our  thoughts  tell  us  you  are  right ; 
but  what  are  we  to  do  ?  We  cannot  help  our  thoughts. 
Our  hearts  are  bad  ;  we  were  born  bad  ;  and  there  is  an 
end  of  the  matter.  Why  did  not  you  come  before  we  were 
born,  and  make  our  parents  good  ?  Then  we  should  have 
been  born  good.  The  fault  rests  with  you,  not  with  us.' 
Of  course  I  had  to  correct  their  notions  with  respect  to  the 
sinfulness  of  our  nature."  The  incident  shows  how  ready 
the  guilty  conscience  is,  in  whatever  clime,  to  cast  the 
blame  of  its  guilt  upon  some  one,  and  seek  a  personal  justi- 
fication. 

HINDOO  OBJECTIONS    TO    CHRISTIANITY. 

The  following  list  of  Hindoo  objections  to  Christianity 
are  a  curiosity  ;  and  they  show  how  similar  is  the  working 
of  a  heathen  mind  to  that  of  the  infidel  and  scofler  in  Chris- 
tendom, when  the  religion  of  the  Gospel  is  to  be  opposed. 
The  objections  were  furnished  by  Rev.  A.  F.  Lacroix,  long 
a  missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  at  Calcutta, 
6 


62  DOGMAS,    CAVILS,    OBJECTIONS,   ETC. 

and  were  published  in  the  London  Missionary  Magazine  for 
September,  1854.  Mr.  Lacroix  remarks  that  they  are  the 
objections  of  the  "old  idolatrous  school,"  and  not  such  as 
educated  Hindoos  liave  of  late  borrowed  from  the  writings 
of  European  infidels.     They  are  as  follows  : 

1.  We  must  not  depart  from  the  religion  and  customs  of 
our  forefathers. 

2.  We  cannot  leave  our  own  Gooroos,  whom  we  are  to 
account  as  gods,  and  who  are  our  proper  guides  in  the  way 
of  salvation. 

3.  What  a  number  of  persons  say,  we  ought  always  to 
conform  to.  As  long,  therefore,  as  the  majority  of  our 
countrymen  adhere  to  Hindooism,  we  also  must  continue 
doing  the  same. 

4.  Let  our  Pundits,  Baboos,  and  chief  men,  embrace 
Christianity,  and  then  we,  who  are  their  inferiors,  may  fol- 
low their  example. 

5.  Every  one  will  be  saved  by  minding  his  own  religion. 
As  there  are  many  roads,  all  leading  to  the  same  city,  so 
there  are  many  religious  in  the  world  ;  but  they  all  lead 
to  heaven  at  last.  Of  what  use,  therefore,  is  it  for  us  to 
forsake  our  present  religion  to  embrace  a  new  one  ? 

6.  Of  what  use  is  it  to  exhort  us  to  embrace  Chris- 
tianity, seeing  that  what  is  written  in  our  foreheads  must 
of  necessity  come  to  pass,  whatever  we  may  do  ? 

Y.  When  we  commit  sin,  it  involves  no  guilt  on  our  part, 
since  it  is  God  himself,  the  author  of  all  things,  who  causes 
us  to  commit  sin. 

8.  Our  souls  are  portions  of  the  deity,  which  after  a 
while  will  be  reabsorbed  into  it ;  what  is  the  use,  therefore, 
of  troubling  ourselves  about  eternity  ? 

9.  The  age  in  which  we  live  is  the  Koli  Joog  (iron 
age),  in  which,  according  to  our  shasters,  wickedness 
necessarily  abounds  ;  it  is  therefore  useless  for  us  to  stem 
the  current,  and  to  turn  our  miuds  to  repentance  and 
holiness. 

10.  The  various  gods  we  worship  are  all  portions  of 
Brumho  (deity,  that  is,  the  pantheistic  "  soul  of  the  world  "), 
and,  therefore,  by  worshipphig  them,  we  are  in  fact  worship- 
ping Brumlio  himself. 

11.  Many  Christians  (meaning  Roman  Catholics)  worship 
images  ;  why  then  do  missionaries  find  fault  with  us  for 
doing  the  same  ? 

12.  We  doubt  Christianity  to  be  the  true  religion,  because, 


SURE   OP   SOME   RELIGION.  63 

wliile  it  professes  to  make  men  good,  we  nevertheless  see 
many  Christians  leading  very  bad  lives. 

13.  Christians,  by  the  permission  of  their  own  shasters, 
eat  all  kinds  of  forbidden  food  without  sin  ;  how,  therefore, 
can  a  religion  founded  upon  such  a  shaster,  be  true  ? 

14.  Christians  destroy  animal  life,  and  even  the  life  of 
cows,  for  food,  which  is  very  cruel ;  how,  then,  can  we 
embrace  a  religion  which  sanctions  such  practices  ? 

15.  Jesus  Christ  is  not  mentioned  in  the  vedas,  nor  in 
any  of  the  histories  of  the  four  joogs  (ages  of  the  world). 

16.  If  Christianity  be  the  only  true  religion,  why  was  it 
not  made  known  to  us  sooner  ? 

17.  If  Christianity  be  the  only  true  religion,  then  all  our 
forefathers  must  have  perished. 

18.  If  we  embrace  Christianity,  we  shall  lose  our  caste, 
and  subject  ourselves  to  many  painful  trials.  Why,  then, 
should  we  become  Christians  ? 

19.  If  we  embrace  Christianity,  we  must  give  up  our 
worldly  business,  for  we  know  by  experience  that  unless 
we  tell  lies  we  cannot  prosper  in  business. 

20.  Perform  a  miracle,  and  then  we  shall  believe  that 
Christianity  is  true,  but  not  before. 

These  objections  are,  as  will  be  noticed,  chiefly  such  as 
human  nature  everywhere  brings  forward,  and  modern  infi- 
dels and  cavillers  are  very  little  in  advance  of  "old  school 
heathenism,"  in  finding  out  plausible  arguments  against 
Christianity. 

SUKE  OF  SOME  RELIGION". 

The  native  Ceylonese  are  constitutionally  indolent,  effem- 
inate, and  averse  to  mental  or  bodily  effort.  This  character- 
istic renders  them  dull  and  negligent  as  to  their  religion, 
and  satisfied  with  almost  any  form.  "  It  is  good,"  they 
say,  "to  have  three  or  four  strings  to  one's  bow.  One  kind 
of  religion  will  do  us  good  on  one  occasion,  another  kind  at 
some  other  period,  —  so  let  us  have  all."  Thus,  if  it  were 
allowed,  they  are  quite  ready  to  be  baptized  ;  because,  they 
say,  "  Christianity  is  the  most  genteel  religion  ;  it  will  secure 
us  good  ofiices  in  the  government."  At  the  same  time  they 
will  follow  Buddhism,  because,  they  say,  their  priests  may 
be  of  some  service  to  them.  Next,  they  will  be  devil-wor- 
shippers, for,  if  not,  they  fear  the  devil  will  send  some  sick- 
ness or  misfortune  upon  them.  And  then  they  will  take  a 
pilgrimage  of  some  ten  days,  to  worship  in  a  distant  temple, 


64  DOGMAS,    CAVILS,    OBJECTIONS,   ETC. 

thinking  this  too  will  hold  them  in  time  of  need.  Thus  they 
seem  to  think,  that,  by  having  all  religions,  they  will  be 
saved  by  one  or  more  of  them.  It  is  bad  enough  that  such 
a  delusion  should  be  found  in  heathendom  ;  and  especially 
deplorable,  when  pastors  in  Christendom  encounter  hearers, 
very  much  like  them,  in  a  choice  of  all  religions,  and  a  lazy 
indifference  to  any. — Am.  Miss.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  14. 

THEOLOGICAL  DISCOVERY  OP  A  HEATHEN   SAGE. 

A  missionary  in  India  relates  the  following  amusing  inci- 
dent : —  "About  four  years  ago,  after  preaching  in  our  chapel 
in  the  Chitpore  road,  an  aged  pundit,  who  had  been  one  of  my 
hearers,  came  to  my  house,  and  said,  '  Sir,  perceiving  that 
you  are  a  theologian,  I  wish,  in  private,  to  reveal  to  you  a 
discovery  I  have  made,  in  regard  to  that  much  disputed 
point,  the  essence  of  God  ;  but,  should  you  publish  it  to  the 
world,  I  expect  you  will  not  take  the  credit  of  the  discovery 
to  yourself,  but  ascribe  it  to  me.'  I  promised  him  faithfully 
to  attend  to  his  wish,  and  was  all  ear  to  learn  this  wonder- 
ful revelation  of  the  Hindoo  doctor  ;  upon  which  he  ex- 
pressed himself  to  the  following  effect :  '  It  is  admitted,  by 
every  intelligent  man,  that  God  is  the  origin  and  source  of 
all  that  exists.  It  is  also  admitted  that  light  was  the  very 
first  thing  created.  That,  therefore,  which  existed  before 
light,  must  needs  be  the  origin  of  all  things,  —  in  other 
words,  God.  Darkness  being  that  preexistent  thing,  God, 
of  course,  is  darkness.'  "  This  was  the  mighty  discovery 
which  the  Hindoo  sage,  by  dint  of  reasoning,  had  made,  — 
that  God  is  darkness,  whereas  inspiration  affirms  that  God 
is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all.  Ti'uly,  the  world 
by  wisdom  knew  not  God.  — Miss.  Mag.,  1852,  p.  65. 

ON  ALL  SIDES. 

An  intelligent  man  in  Burmah,  when  urged  by  the  mis- 
sionary to  embrace  the  Gospel  as  the  only  way  of  salvation, 
said,  "  At  present  I  am  like  a  Karen  shooting  at  a  squirrel 
in  the  top  of  a  tree.  He  shoots,  and  shoots,  and  shoots, 
knowing  some  shot  will  hit,  —  then  he  gains  his  object.  So 
I  worship  on  all  sides,  and  am  sure  1  sometimes  hit."  — 
Am.  Bap.  Mag.,  1850,  p.  243. 


SCRIPTURE  TRUTH -ITS  MANY  OPERATIONS. 


That  the  Author  of  Eevelation  has"  instituted  a  perfect 
adapfadon  and  fitness  between  Scripture  truth  and  man's 
spiritual  necessities,  is  a  point  of  so  great  practical  concern, 
that  it  cannot  be  safely  overlooked  for  a  moment.  The 
Christian  teacher  must  recognize  this  great  fact  at  every 
step.  The  missionary,  especially,  who  addresses  himself  to 
minds  shut  up,  apparently,  in  impenetrable  folds  of  error 
and  superstition,  can  have  absolutely  no  hope  but  in  the 
assurance  that  even  such  minds  need,  and  cs^ufeel  the  need 
of,  the  very  truths  which  he  presents,  as  the  body  feels  the 
need  of  its  natural  aliment.  The  facts  and  narratives  given 
in  this  chapter  strikingly  illustrate  this  point,  and  may 
serve  to  establish  the  pastor  and  the  missionary  in  the  con- 
viction, that,  with  such  appliances  as  the  Master  has  ap- 
pointed to  be  used,  their  labor  cannot  be  in  vain.  It  will 
appear,  also,  that  divine  truth  operates  so  diversely,  and  in 
ways  so  unlooked  for,  as  to  baffle  all  human  calculations, 
and  shame  the  unbelief  even  of  the  best  of  men.  It  is  seen 
that  God  can  work,  and  put  honor  upon  his  word,  by  means 
seemingly  most  trivial,  as  well  as  by  more  formidable  meas- 
ures, and  that  therefore  no  work  should  be  despised,  no 
opportunity  neglected,  no  despair  tolerated,  even  in  the 
darkest  field,  or  over  the  most  hopeless  subject. 

THE  "WORK  OF  OliTE  TRACT. 

It  is  related  that  two  young  men,  Patterson  and  Ilender- 
6on,  the  latter  author  of  an  important  work  on  Iceland, 
6* 


66  SCRIPTUEE   TRUTH  —  ITS    MANY   OPERATIONS. 

became  associated  together  as  missionaries  to  India,  and 
proceeded  to  Copenhagen,  intending  to  sail  from  that  port. 
But  war  breaking  out  between  England  and  Denmark,  they 
were  detained  in  that  capital,  and  labored  in  acquiring  the 
language,  translating  and  distributing  tracts,  &c.  It  hap- 
pened one  day,  as  they  were  in  the  royal  gardens,  that 
Henderson  gave  a  tract  to  a  young  physician  who  passed 
by.  He  read  it,  and  it  made  such  an  impression  on  his 
mind,  that  he  wished  to  find  the  stranger  that  gave  it  to 
him.  For  this  purpose  he  went  to  a  patient,  one  of  the 
Moravian  brethren,  from  whom  he  thought  himself  likely  to 
obtain  the  information.  He  was  soon  introduced  to  Patter- 
son and  Henderson,  and  from  this  young  physician,  a  reli- 
gious inquirer,  the  missionaries  learned  the  deplorable  state 
of  Iceland  ;  and  a  correspondence  was  entered  into  with  the 
Bible  Society,  for  supplying  the  inhabitants  with  the  word 
of  life.  This  laid  the  foundation  for  the  employment  of 
Messrs.  Patterson  and  Henderson  in  the  service  of  the 
Bible  Society;  and,  consequently,  saj^s  the  narrator,  "for 
all  the  blessings  that  have  flowed,  are  still  flowing,  and,  no 
doubt,  will  yet  more  abundantly  flow,  from  the  societies 
now  existing  in  Denmark,  Sweden,  Russia,  Iceland  —  I  was 
going  to  say,  by  way  of  anticipation,  Turkey,  Persia,  &c." 
Such  ai'e  the  consequences  which  result  from  the  giving 
away  of  a  single  tract.  —  Am.  Bap.  Mag.,  1823,  p.  109. 

THE   TONGUE  LOOSED. 

A  missionary  in  India  met  with  a  man  who  was  under  a 
vow  of  silence  for  the  space  of  ten  years.  His  body 
was  covered  with  mud  from  the  Ganges,  he  had  on  scai-cely 
a  rag  of  clothing,  and  the  skeleton  of  a  huge  serpent  was 
coiled  around  his  neck.  He  was  hoping  in  this  way  to 
obtain  salvation.  The  missionary  explained  to  him,  as  well 
as  he  could,  the  folly  of  all  this  ;  told  him  of  salvation 
through  Jesus  Christ,  and  placed  two  appropriate  tracts  on 
tlie  ground  before  him.  The  case  seemed  hopeless,  and  the 
missionary  might  have  said,  "  It  is  of  no  use  to  try  to 
enlighten  such  a  man  ;  I  Avill  pass  him  by."  But,  behold 
the  result.  A  few  days  afterwards  this  miserable  heathen 
entered  the  study  of  the  missionary,  and,  taking  the  serpent 
from  his  neck,  he  cast  it  to  the  ground,  and  said,  "  My  vow 
is  broken  ;  for/crt;-  years  I  have  not  spoken  a  word,  and  for 
six  years  more  I  should  have  remained  silent,  had  not  you 
come  and  proved  to  me  the  insuflScicncy  of  man's  merit,  and 


THE   BLIND   OLD   MAN.  67 

the  sufficiency  of  Christ's  merit  to  take  away  sin,  I  read 
your  books,  and  thought  over  the  matter,  and  I  am  now 
convinced  of  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  my  conduct.  I 
have  come  to  seek  further  instruction  in  the  things  of  God. 
I  fly  in  the  face  of  all  that  the  Brahmins  and  shasters  teach. 
My  caste  is  gone  ;  my  hopes  of  life  are  over ;  all  men  will 
hate  and  shun  me  as  an  apostate  ;  but  I  am  willing  to 
renounce  all  for  Christ.  Henceforth,  I  will  speak  loudly, 
and  speak  continually  ;  and  I  will  travel  from  place  to  place 
with  this  book  (the  Bible)  in  my  hand,  and  will  call  on  my 
countrymen  to  behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away 
the  sins  of  the  world.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  they 
kill  me  when  they  hear  my  voice  ;  but  God's  will  be  done." 

THE    TKUE    TEACHEB, 

A  native  African  preacher,  in  addressing  the  people  one 
day,  said,  "  Now,  I  will  remind  you  of  your  bolotsanego 
(rascality).  You  said  that  the  teachers  talked  to  the  book 
(Bible),  and  made  the  book  say  what  they  pleased.  Here 
is  the  book,  and  it  can  talk  where  there  are  no  teachers. 
If  a  believer  reads  it,  it  tells  the  same  news ;  if  an  unbe- 
liever reads  it,  the  news  is  still  the  same.  This  book," 
holding  it  out  in  his  hand,  "  will  preach,  teach,  and  tell 
news,  though  there  were  no  teachers  in  the  country."  A 
good  answer  to  those  who  profess  to  find  all  sorts  of  creeds 
in  the  Bible. 

THE    BLIND    OLD    MAN". 

A  little  boat,  early  on  a  clear  evening,  cast  anchor  near 
the  city  of  Thayroot,  in  Burmah.  An  American  missionary 
was  in  that  boat ;  two  native  teachers  also  were  with  him, 
and  their  errand  was  that  which  Christ  gave  to  his  servants 

—  go  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature.  The  missionary  sat  down  outside  the  boat,  and 
began  to  read  a  tract  to  the  few  stragglers  who  had  come 
to  enjoy  the  cool  and  quiet  of  the  evening  on  the  shore. 
Soon  a  large  assembly  gathered.  They  were  obliged  to 
push  the  boat  off  a  little,  to  prevent  the  people  crowding  in, 
and  upsetting  or  sinking  it,  when  a  tall,  grave-looking 
young  man  pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd,  and,  in  an 
under  tone,  said,  "  Teacher,  have  you  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  ?  "    Mr.  Kincaid  — that  was  the  missionary's  name 

—  gave  him  a  copy.  "  Teacher,"  the  young  man  said  again, 
"have  you  the  Gospel  of  John?"     Mr.  Kincaid  looked 


68  SCRIPTURE   TRUTH  —  ITS   MANY   OPERATIONS. 

astonished.  He  was  in  a  city,  like  Athens  of  old,  "wholly 
given  to  idolatry,"  three  hundred  miles  from  Rangoon,  the 
mission  station,  and  here  was  one  asking  about  the  Acts, 
and  the  Gospel  by  John  ;  and  he  said,  "  IIow  do  you  know 
anything  about  these  books  ?  "  The  young  man  replied, 
"  A  long  time  since,  there  was  a  foreign  teacher,  Judson, 
in  the  city  of  Prome,  and  he  gave  my  grandfather  these 
books.  He  could  not  see  ;  he  was  blind  ;  but  he  had  them 
read  to  him,  and  was  always  talking  about  them.  But 
some  time  since  there  was  a  great  fire  in  our  city,  and  my 
grandfatlier's  house  was  burned,  and  the  books  in  it."  So 
saying,  the  young  man  rolled  up  his  precious  gifts  in  his 
shawl,  and  soon  was  lost  amid  the  crowd.  And  now 
the  sun  was  down,  the  angry  wind  was  rising,  and  the 
teachers  were  obliged  to  move  their  little  vessel  to  a  more 
sheltered  spot,  about  two  miles  up  the  river.  But  still  the 
thoughtful  missionary  sat  outside  the  boat,  pondering  over 
the  events  of  the  day,  and  wishing  he  could  find  out  the 
blind  old  man  who  had  sent  for  the  portions  of  God's  word ; 
and,  just  as  he  was  saying  to  the  native  teachers,  Ko  Shoon 
and  Kau  Saulone,  "  We  must  try  in  the  morning  to  find  him 
out,"  the  grandson  came  on  board  again.  He  told  them  of 
the  delight  with  which  the  aged  man  had  received  the  books, 
but  said  he  sadly  wanted  to  see  the  teachers  too,  and  had 
sent  him  back  to  the  boat ;  but,  finding  it  was  gone,  he  had 
followed  on,  anxiously  inquiring  for  the  "  foreign  teachers." 
Gladly  did  Mr.  Kincaid  follow  the  messenger,  threading  his 
way  through  the  streets  of  the  Indian  city,  till  he  came  to 
the  house.  There,  in  the  vei-anda,  lighted  by  one  dim 
lamp,  sat  the  aged  man,  with  his  family  and  neighbors 
around  him.  The  gloom  was  nothing  to  him,  for  no  earthly 
light  could  gladden  his  sightless  eyeballs  ;  yet,  when  he 
turned  them  towards  the  teacher,  the  light  of  inward  joy 
and  peace  shone  upon  the  old  man's  face,  while  he  told 
how,  in  days  gone  by,  he  had  found  God's  word  to  be  a 
lamp  unto  his  feet  and  a  light  unto  his  path  ;  and  pointing 
to  his  white  locks,  which,  in  the  language  of  the  East,  he 
called  "  the  flag  of  death,"  he  thanked  God  that  his  heart 
could  see,  and  rejoiced  to  meet  once  more  with  a  Christian 
friend. — Am.  Missionary,  vol.  i.,  p.  10. 

A   LEAF    OF    SCmPTITRE    FOR    "WADDING. 

Many  years  since,  the  missionaries  of  Samoa  had  only  the 
Gospel  of  Matthew  in  the  native  language  ;  and  the  trans- 


DEFINITION   OF   THE    BIBLE.  69 

lation  was  so  imperfect  that  some  doubted  whether  it  was 
fit  to  be  printed.  But,  poor  as  it  was,  it  was  the  means  of 
bringing'  a  wicked  youth  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ.  His 
name  was  Puloa.  lie  had  been  the  prime  mover  in  build- 
ing a  war-boat.  While  engaged  in  this  work,  he  Avas  seized 
with  spitting  of  blood  ;  but  it  seemed  to  have  no  effect  in 
deterring  him  from  his  evil  courses  ;  for,  when  the  "boat  was 
finished,  he  embarked  in  it  for  the  seat  of  war.  On  arriving 
there,  one  of  his  comrades  commenced  loading  his  musket, 
and  produced  for  wadding  a  piece  of  printed  paper.  Poloa 
took  it  up  to  examine  it,  when  his  eye  caught  the  words, 
"  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  It  was  a 
leaf  from  the  old  first  edition  of  Matthew.  "  That,"  thought 
he,  "will  be  my  portion  if  I  die  in  this  war."  The  arrow 
pierced  his  heart.  As  speedily  as  possible  he  left  the  war 
party,  and  became  a  candidate  for  baptism.  —  Jour,  of  Miss., 
1856,  p.  66. 

DEFINITION    OF    THE    BIBLE. 

Rev.  Mr.  Moffat,  missionary  in  Western  Africa,  relates 
that  after  Christianity  had  progressed  considerably,  a 
stranger,  chief  of  his  tribe,  came  from  the  interior,  and,  see- 
ing some  young  people  intent  upon  some  little  books,  asked, 
"  What  things  are  these  that  you  are  turning  over  and 
over?  Is  it  food?"  They  said,  "No,  it  is  the  word  of 
God."  —  "Does  it  speak?"  —  "Yes,  it  speaks  to  the 
heart."  The  chief  went  on  to  another  chief,  and  told  him 
what  he  had  seen,  and,  to  his  surprise,  saw  the  children  of 
this  chief  with  similar  books  in  their  hands.  He  said, 
"Pray,  father,  unravel  my  confused  thoughts;  what  has 
come  over  your  people  ?  for  they  look  at  things,  and  talk  to 
things  that  cannot  talk  again."  —  "Ah,"  said  the  other, 
"  I  will  explain  it  to  you  ;  "  and,  being  seated,  the  Christian 
chief  continued,  "These  are  the  books  brought  by  the 
teachers  to  instruct  us  ;  we  thought  at  first  that  the  teachers 
made  them,  but  we  have  found  out  that  they  are  God's 
books."  —  "How  did  you  find  that  out?"  asked  the 
stranger.  "  Because  we  saw  that  tho}^  hcrned  jjcopje  upside 
down;  they  made  people  7iew ;  they  separated  between  father 
and  son,  mother  and  daughter  ;  they  made  such  a  revolution 
among  the  people,  that  we  were  afraid  we  should  all  be 
made  over  again."  —  "  Do  you  believe  this  ?  "  —  "  Yes." — 
"And  why?"  —  "Because,  I  can't  dance  any  more;  I 
can't  sing  any  more  :  I  can't  keep  harem  ;  therefore,  I  was 


70  SCRIPTDEE   TRUTH  —  ITS   MANY    OPERATIONS. 

afraid  we  sliould  all  be  turned  upside  down.  But  I  know 
the  secret.  There  is  my  son  —  ho  is  dead  to  me  through  these 
books.''  —  "  Why  V  —  "  Became  lie  is  alive  to  God."  The 
stranger  chief,  astonished,  asked,  "  Do  they  eat  the  books  ?  " 
—  "  No,  they  eat  them  with  the  soul,  not  with  the  mouth  ; 
they  digest  them  with  the  heart,  they  do  not  chew  them 
with  the  teeth."  The  chief,  in  his  deep  blindness  as  to  the 
Gospel  and  the  new  birth,  expressed  his  astonishment  that 
anything  external,  not  eaten,  could  produce  such  a  change, 
and  passed  on.  —  Monthly  Extracts  Brit,  and  For.  Bi.  Soc, 
1840,  p.  117. 

THE    GOSPEL    "WITHOITT    THE    CIVIL   POWER. 

The  surprising  success  of  the  Gospel  in  the  South  Sea 
Islands,  particularly  the  Ilervey  and  Navigators'  Islands, 
led  to  the  remark,  by  Professor  Lee,  of  England,  that  this 
success  was  owing  to  the  aid  which  the  Gospel  derived  from 
the  civil  jwwer.  This  being  considered  both  an  ignorant 
and  injurious  assertion,  it  was  denied  by  Rev.  Jolm  Wil- 
liams, of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  who  said,  "  This 
statement  is  not  founded  in  truth.  Having  witnessed  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  into  a  greater  number  of  islands 
than  any  other  missionary,  I  can  safely  affirm  that  in  no 
single  instance  has  the  civil  power  been  employed  in  the 
propagation  of  the  Gospel.  The  moral  influence  of  the 
chiefs  has  been  most  beneficially  exerted,  in  many  instances, 
in  behalf  of  Christianity  ;  but  never,  to  my  knowledge,  have 
they  employed  coercion  to  induce  their  subjects  to  embrace 
it.  They  were  not  in  a  condition  to  do  this,  for  they  had  to 
defend  themselves  against  the  fury  of  a  large  portion  of  their 
own  subjects,  by  whom,  in  the  early  progress  of  the  work, 
they  were  fiercely  attacked."  Further  statements  of  Mr. 
Williams  make  it  clear  that  the  Gospel  triumphed  in  those 
islands  by  its  own  moral  power, —  by  the  light  which  it 
carried  with  it,  and  the  benevolent  spirit  which  it  dissemi- 
nated. "His  own  arm  hath  gotten  him  the  victory."  — 
Williams's  Miss.  Enter,  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  189. 

INVISIBLE  FKTJITS. 

That  the  Gospel  gathers  trophies  from  among  the  heathen, 
which  are  scarcely  known  in  this  world,  is  proved  by  many 
facts  like  the  following  :  — "A  Hindoo,"  says  Eev.  ]\[r.  Clark- 
son,  "  took  from  me  a  book,  and,  reading  it,  said,  '  This  is  the 


A   DOCILE   SPIRIT.  71 

Jesus  Christ  about  whom  my  father  always  spoke  before  ho 
died.'  Upon  further  inquiry,  he  said,  'My  father  told  us 
that  all  our  gods  were  false.  He  waited  to  see  a  missionary 
return  to  his  village,  but  in  vain.  lie  read  your  books,  and 
died  acknowledging  Jesus  to  be  the  Saviour.'  " 

THE   "STOP-OFF." 

A  Christian  negro  in  Demarara,  at  a  celebration  of  West 
India  emancipation,  in  18-40,  made  the  following  speech,  as 
recorded  by  a  London  missionary.  lie  said  :  —  "  My  brothei'S 
and  sisters,  what  has  God  done  for  us  ?  and  what  shall  we 
do  for  him  ?  Once  we  were  in  darkness  —  we  were  slaves  ; 
now  we  have  the  light  of  the  Gospel  —  now  we  free.  God 
do  this  for  us,  not  man.  You  know  when  we  want  to  keep 
out  the  water,  we  make  a  sfop-oj/'  (dsim  of  earth),  but  some- 
times the  water  boi'e  it,  and  if  we  don't  mind  the  hole,  it 
will  soon  grow  large,  and  the  stop-off  will  be  of  no  use. 
Now,  when  the  Gospel  come  to  us,  men  try  to  put  a  stop- 
off  to  keep  it  back.  They  no  want  us  to  learn  to  read  ; 
they  no  allow  us  to  have  meeting  on  plantation.  Some- 
times they  punish  us  if  we  have  meeting.  So  man  do.  But 
the  Gospel  begin  to  bore,  and  it  come  in  at  a  small  hole  at 
first.  They  try  to  stop  it,  but  they  not  able.  The  Gospel 
keep  on  bore,  bore,  till  it  carry  away  the  stop-off  altogether. 
Now  we  can  learn  to  read  ;  we  can  have  meeting  on  planta- 
tion ;  we  have  our  chapel  and  minister  to  teach  us.  Stop- 
off  no  there  no  more."  So  will  the  truth  continue  to  bore, 
bore,  into  all  systems  of  error  and  iniquity,  till  the  hole 
"grows  large,"  and  all  the  stop-offs  which  mammon  and 
lust,  and  expediency,  and  timidity,  have  applied,  shall  be 
carried  away  altogether. 

A  DOCILE   SPIRIT. 

An  interesting  fact  is  related  of  a  distinguished  man  who 
resided  ninety  miles  north  of  Dindigul,  the  most  remote 
station  of  the  Madura  mission,  in  Southern  India,  and  who 
paid  to  government  an  annual  tax  of  seven  thousand  dol- 
lars. He  had,  through  a  native  reader,  become  acquainted 
Avith  the  general  principles  of  the  Gospel,  and  now,  of  his 
own  accord,  he  sought  at  Dindigul  an  opportunity  for  con- 
versation with  the  missionaries.  Of  the  folly  of  idolatry 
he  wished  to  say  nothing.  "  Do  I  not  know,"  said  he, 
"  that  those  idols  are  nothing:  but  stone  ?  "     And  then  he 


72  SCRIPTURE   TRUTH  —  ITS   MANY   OPERATIONS. 

urged  the  missionary,  saying,  "  Come  to  us  and  teach  us, 
arid  I  will  do  just  as  you  say ;  I  will  be  like  a  little  dog 
that  you  have  trained  for  yourself."  He  was  asked,  "  Are 
you  willing  that  all  your  people  shall  learn  and  embrace 
Christianity?"  He  replied,  "When  ants  have  tasted 
sugar,  need  3'ou  hire  them  to  come  and  eat  it  ?  "  He  con- 
versed much  more  on  the  subject  of  Christianity,  and  on 
the  following  Sabbath  he  came  into  the  Dindigul  church, 
and  took  his  seat  on  the  mat  with  the  common  people,  —  a 
thing  which  had  never  been  done  before  by  any  native  of 
distinction  since  the  establishment  of  the  mission.  Such 
were  the  blessed  results  of  a  casual  word  of  instruction, 
dropped  by  a  native  reader,  in  a  region  far  distant  from  any 
mission  station.  The  language  above  quoted  beautifully 
illustrates  the  willing  and  humble  spirit  of  a  learner  in  the 
way  of  Christ,  and  also  the  longing  which  those  have  for 
the  Gospel  who  have  once  tasted  of  its  sweets.  —  Hiss. 
Her.,  1855,  p.  379. 

FAITH  ^WITHOUT   HEARING. 

A  Hindoo  woman  applied  to  a  missionary  for  admission 
to  the  Christian  church,  and  on  being  refused  she  burst 
into  tears,  saying  that  for  two  years  she  had  been  the 
most  miserable  of  beings.  She  had,  as  she  related,  about 
that  period  since  met  with  a  Bible  in  her  native  lan- 
guage ;  and,  as  women  in  India  were  not  taught  to  read, 
she  induced  the  man  with  whom  she  lived  (polygamy  being 
common  in  India)  to  read  it  to  her  occasionally  in  the  even- 
ings. This  man  was  a  native  officer  in  one  of  the  Bombay 
regiments.  She  then  declared,  in  the  most  artless  style, 
the  workings  of  her  own  heart,  and  said  that  she  had  dis- 
covered that  her  breast  contained  another  or  second  heart. 
Sometimes  one  heart,  which  brought  to  her  recollection  her 
crimes,  sunk  her  into  the  deepest  distress  for  her  sins,  and 
directed  her  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation. 
The  other  heart  would  tell  her  not  to  mind,  but  to  live  on 
and  not  care  about  all  this.  At  first,  the  bad  heart  had  the 
preeminence  ;  but  for  some  time  past  the  good  heart  had 
so  troubled  her  that  she  had  resolved  to  set  out  for  Taunah, 
from  the  cantonment  in  which  she  lived,  and  to  arrive  there 
on  the  day  on  which  she  understood  the  padre  (clergyman) 
would  be  there.  Her  grief  at  finding  that  she  would  not 
be  received  was  very  pungent,  and  vented  itself  in  tears. 
On  hearing  this  artless  tale,  the  clergyman  thought  fit  fur- 


WAYSIDE   PICKINGS.  73 

thcr  to  interrogate  her.  He  asked  her  if  she  was  content 
to  forsake  the  man  with  whom  she  was  living,  as  he  had 
another  wife  ;  and  whether  she  could  abandon  all  her  sins, 
as  the  holy  laws  of  God  demanded.  She  replied  that  she 
could  do  all  this,  and  even  live  in  the  jungle  (wilderness), 
if  it  were  to  God's  honor.  She  solemnly  declared  that  she 
had  not  spoken  to  a  single  missionai-y  or  other  Christian  ;  and 
that  from  the  reading  of  the  Holy  Bible  alone  she  had  been 
thus  affected.  She  was  accordingly  admitted  to  baptism, 
and  adorned  her  Christian  profession.  So  mighty  is  the 
word  of  God,  even  without  oral  instruction.  —  Church  Mis- 
sionary's Quarterly  Papers,  1827. 

WAYSIDE  PICKINGS. 

Rev.  J.  Williams,  in  his  "  Missionary''  Enterprises  in  the 
South  Sea  Islands,"  p.  202,  gives  a  very  singular  and  in- 
structive account  of  a  man  who  was  enlightened  and  led  to 
Christ  by  simply  gathering  up  seeds  of  truth  which  fell  by 
the  waj^side.  Mr.  Williams  was  walking  out  one  evening 
in  the  island  of  Rarotonga,  when  he  was  accosted  by  a  man 
named  Buteve,  who  shouted,  "Welcome,  servant  of  God, 
who  brought  light  to  this  dark  island  !  —  to  you  are  we  in- 
debted for  the  word  of  salvation."  Mr.  Williams  says  :  — 
"  The  appearance  of  this  person  first  attracted  my  attention, 
his  hands  and  feet  being  eaten  off  by  disease,  which  the 
natives  call  kokovi,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  walk  upon 
his  knees  ;  but,  notwithstanding  this,  he  was  exceedingly 
industrious,  kept  his  kainga  (garden)  in  beautiful  order,  and 
raised  food  enough  to  support  his  wife  and  three  children. 
In  repl}'^  to  his  salutation,  I  asked  him  what  he  knew  of  the 
word  of  salvation.  He  answered,  'I  know  about  Jesus 
Christ,  who  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.'  On 
inquiring  what  he  knew  about  Jesus  Christ,  he  replied,  'I 
know  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  he  died  painfully 
upon  the  cross,  to  pay  for  the  sins  of  men,  in  order  that 
their  souls  might  be  saved,  and  go  to  happiness  in  the 
skies.'  —  1  inquired  of  him  if  all  the  people  went  to  heaven 
after  death.  —  '  Certainly  not,'  he  replied,  '  onl}'-  those  who 
believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  cast  away  sin,  and 
pray  to  God.'  — '  You  pray,  of  course,'  I  continued.  —  '  0, 
yes,'  he  replied,  'I  very  frequentl}'^  pray  as  I  weed  my 
ground  and  plant  my  food,  but  alwaj's  three  times  a  day, 
besides  praying  with  my  fomily  every  morning  and  evening.' 
— '  AVell,'  I  said, '  that,  Buteve.  is  very  excellent ;  but  where 
7 


74  SCRIPTURE   TRUTH  —  ITS   MANY   OPERATIONS. 

did  you  obtain  your  knowledge  ?  '  —  '  From  you,  to  be  sure. 
Who  brought  us  the  knowledge  of  salvation  but  yourself? '  — • 
'  True/  I  replied,  '  but  I  do  not  recollect  ever  to  have  seen 
you  at  either  of  the  settlements  to  hear  me  speak  of  these 
things,  and  how  did  you  obtain  your  knowledge  of  them  '/ ' 
—  '  Why,'  he  said,  '  as  the  people  return  from  the  services,  I 
take  my  seat  by  the  wayside,  and  beg  a  bit  of  the  xvord  from 
them  as  they  pass  by.  One  gives  me  one  piece,  another  another 
piece,  and  I  collect  them  together  in  my  heart,  and  by  thinking 
over  what  I  thus  obtain,  and  praying  to  God  to  make  me 
know,  I  understand  a  little  about  his  word.'  —  This,"  says 
Mr.  Williams,  "was  altogether  a  most  interesting  incident, 
as  I  had  never  seen  the  poor  cripple  before,  and  I  could  not 
learn  that  he  had  ever  been  in  a  place  of  Avorship  in  his  life. 
His  knowledge,  however,  was  such  as  to  aflbrd  me  both 
astonishment  and  delight,  and  I  seldom  passed  his  house, 
after  this  interview,  without  holding  an  interesting  conver- 
sation with  him." 

TRUTH   "WITHOUT  A   PREACHER. 

As  a  general  rule  the  jjreaching  of  the  word  is  essential 
to  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  ;  but  it  often  happens  that 
truth  communicated  in  other  ways,  and  by  methods  strange 
and  unlooked  for,  is  made  effectual.  The  following  is  an 
instance.  A  man  from  the  region  of  Ahmednuggur  went  to 
Bombay,  and  took  service  in  the  family  of  a  man  who  feared 
God,  and  who  taught  his  servant  to  read,  and  gave  him 
Christian  books.  Hearing  of  the  sickness  of  a  child,  this 
servant  went  home,  taking  his  books  with  him.  He  had  an 
uncle  there  who  could  read,  and  who,  on  learning  that  his 
nephew  had  books,  obtained  one  and  read  it.  He  then  read 
another  and  another,  till  he  had  read  them  all.  He  read 
them  a  second  and  a  third  time,  and  the  more  he  read  them 
tlie  more  he  loved  them.  A'lid  he  said,  "Here  is  truth." 
God  had  taught  him,  through  this  simple  and  unexpected 
means.  These  books  became  his  companions  in  the  house 
and  in  the  field.  He  began  to  talk  of  what  he  had  read  to 
his  family  and  to  the  people  of  the  town.  But  nobodj'- 
would  believe  him  ;  they  had  never  heard  of  such  things 
before,  for  no  missionary  had  ever  visited  the  place,  neither 
liad  this  man  ever  had  a  teacher  except  these  books.  But 
he  soon  began  to  say  of  his  gods,  "These  ai-e  stones,  cop- 
per, brass,  clay.  They  are  graven  by  art  and  man's  device. 
They  are  not  the  Maker  and  Preserver  of  all  things.     Why 


TEUTH   WITHOUT    A    PREACHER.  75 

then  should  I  bow  down  to  those,  and  neglect  him  ?  These 
can  do  neither  good  nor  evil.  God  is  alwa^^s  present,  and 
able  to  help."  Surrounded  by  dense  darkness,  forty  miles 
from  Ahmednuggur,  and  none  to  sympathize  with  him,  he 
cast  away  his  gods  of  stone,  and  became  a  worshipper  of 
the  one  living  and  true  God.  And  now  the  people  tliought 
him  mad.  He  began  to  say  of  the  shasters,  "  They  are  a 
lie,"  and  of  the  Brahmins,  "  They  are  false  teachers."  The 
Brahmins  invoked  upon  him  the  anger  of  the  gods  ;  but  he 
prayed  to  the  true  God,  and  confessed  his  sins,  and  sought 
pardon  through  the  blood  of  Christ.  He  began  also  to 
keep  the  Sabbath.  His  wife  and  children,  and  grand-chil- 
dren, his  brothers  and  their  children,  all  the  people  of  the 
town,  hated  him,  jeered  him,  and  persecuted  him.  They 
said  to  him,  "  Go  to  the  people  whom  you  have  chosen.  If 
not,  then  do  as  we  do  ;  walk  in  our  ways."  He  replied, 
"It  is  all  dark,  dark  behind  me  ;  I  cannot  go  back.  It  is 
all  light,  very  light  before  ;  I  must  go  forward.  Your  gods 
are  false  ;  your  ways  are  false.  I  cannot  go  with  you." 
He  was  alone  in  his  own  house,  and  among  his  own  people. 
He  had  never  heard  the  voice  of  prayer,  save  his  own  I 
Tlie  cheering  woixl  "  brother  "  had  never  greeted  his  ears. 
He  stood,  a  solitary  light,  in  that  dark  waste  of  heathenism, 
and  for  six  or  seven  years  he  had  kept  his  light  burning,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  before  he  saw  or  heard  of  a  missionary. 
At  length  Mr.  Hunger,  while  pi'eaching  in  a  village  some 
distance  from  Ahmednuggur,  was  interrupted  by  a  person 
saying,  "  My  uncle  is  a  worshipper  of  this  Christ.  He  has 
forsaken  all,  and  now  he  prays  only  to  Christ.  He  is  night 
and  day  reading  the  books  of  Christ."  In  great  astonish- 
ment, Mr.  M.  inquired  who  the  individual  was,  and  where 
he  lived.  To  wliich  the  man  replied,  "  He  is  Dulaji  Bhau, 
and  he  lives  in  Misal  Wadi,  ten  miles  distant."  The  mis- 
sionai-y  lost  no  time  in  searching  him  out,  and,  to  his  great 
joy,  he  found  it  even  as  it  had  been  told  him.  The  man 
was  sixty-five  or  seventy  years  old,  and  in  all  the  villages 
in  that  vicinity  he  was  known  and  spoken  of  as  a  hater  of 
the  gods  of  the  Hindoos,  and  a  worshipper  of  the  God  of 
(christians.  Mr.  Munger  preached  in  his  village,  and  all 
the  people,  men,  women  and  children,  came  to  hear  him, 
and  the  relatives  of  Dulaji  seemed  glad  to  know  that  he  was 
right  in  the  view  of  Christians,  whatever  the  Hindoos 
might  think  of  him.  Among  the  books  which  Mr.  M.  found 
in  the  hands  of  this  remarkable  individual,  were  the  "True 


76  SCRIPTURE   TRUTH  —  ITS   MANY   OPERATIONS. 

Atonement,"  the  "Assembly's  Shorter  Catechism,"  "  Scrip-' 
ture  Narratives  of  the  Okl  Testament,"  and  "  Prayer."  His 
knowledge  of  the  principal  facts  of  the  Old  Testament  his- 
tory was  found  to  be  surprisingly  accurate.  The  mission- 
ary left,  praising  God  for  what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  and 
feeling  that  he  had  a  right  to  call  Dulaji  Bhau  a  brother  in 
Christ.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  God  can,  and  often  does,  make 
his  truth  miglity  without  other  instrumentalities  ;  and,  fur- 
ther, that  Scripture  truth,  though  it  find  a  soul  buried  in  the 
deepest  night  of  heathenism,  has  power  to  meet  its  wants, 
and  lift  it  up  into  the  light  and  joy  of  salvation. — 3Iitis. 
Her.,  1849,  p.  271. 

■WHAT  SHALL  "WE  DO  ? 

In  1831,  Dr.  Judson  wrote  from  Rangoon,  describing  the 
eagerness  with  which  the  people  inquired  for  tracts  at  the 
festival  of  the  great  Sway  Dagong  Pagoda  in  that  place. 
He  supposed  there  had  been  six  thousand  applicants,  some 
coming  three  months'  journey,  from  the  borders  of  Siam  and 
China.  "Sir,"  was  the  appeal,  "we  hear  that  there  is  an 
eternal  hell ;  we  arc  afraid  of  it;  do  give  us  a  writing  that 
will  tell  us  how  to  escape  it."  Others,  who  had  come  from 
the  frontiers  of  Cassay,  a  hundred  miles  north  of  Ava,  said, 
"  Sir,  we  have  seen  a  writing  that  tells  us  about  an  eternal 
God.  Are  you  the  man  that  gives  away  such  writings  ? 
If  so,  pray  give  us  one,  for  we  want  to  know  tiie  truth 
before  we  die."  Others,  from  the  interior  of  the  country, 
where  the  name  of  Jesus  is  a  little  known,  asked,  "  Are  you 
Jesus  Christ's  man  ?  Give  us  a  writing  that  tells  about 
Jesus  Christ."  To  these  inquirers.  Dr.  Judson  gave  away, 
during  this  one  festival,  about  ten  thousand  tracts,  giving 
only  to  those  wlio  asked  for  them.  Dr.  Judson  adds,  "It 
is  most  distressing  to  find,  when  we  are  almost  worn  out, 
and  are  sinking  one  after  another  into  the  grave,  that  many 
of  our  brethren  in  Christ  at  home  are  just  as  hard  and 
immovable  as  rocks,  just  as  cold  and  repulsive  as  the  moun- 
tains of  ice  in  the  polar  seas."  —  Seventh  Rep.  of  Am.  'Tract 
Society,  p.  42. 

A  VOV/  OF  SILENCE. 

Rev.  Dr.  Carey  found  a  man  in  Calcutta  who  had  not 
spoken  a  loud  word  for  four  years,  having  been  under  a 
vow  of  perpetual  silence.  Nothing  could  open  his  mouth, 
till,  happening  to  meet  with  a  religious  tract,  he  read  it,  and 
his  tongue  was  loosed.     lie  soon  threw  away  his  paras  and 


THE   GARMENT   OF   SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.  77 

all  other  badges  of  superstition,  and  became,  as  was  believed, 
a  partaker  of  the  grace  of  God.  Many  a  nominal,  and  even 
professing  Christian,  who  is  as  dumb  on  religious  subjects 
as  if  under  a  "vow  of  silence,"  would  find  a  tongue  to 
speak,  if  religion  were  reallj'  to  touch  and  warm  his  heart. 
—  Bap   Miss.  Her.,  Jan.,  1820. 

WHAT  SHALL  IT  PBOFIT  ? 

A  South  Sea  Islander  came  to  the  missionary,  Rev.  Mr. 
Orsmund,  one  day,  greatly  agitated,  his  tears  falling  fast, 
and  said,  "  I  was  at  work,  putting  up  my  garden  fence  ;  it 
was  a  long,  hard  work,  and  only  myself  to  do  it.  All  over 
dirt,  and  greatly  wearied,  I  sat  down  on  a  little  bank  to 
rest,  and  said  within  myself,  I  cannot  tell  why,  '  All  this 
great  garden,  and  death  for  my  soul  !  All  this  great  prop- 
ert}^,  and  death  forever  !  0,  what  shall  I  do  1 '  I  went 
immediatel}'^  and  bathed,  and  went  to  my  wife  and  told  her 
my  thoughts  and  wishes.  She  agreed  to  my  desire,  and 
we,  on  that  evening,  left  our  work,  and  came  to  this  place, 
where  the  Avord  of  God  lives,  and  I  have  been  wishing  to 
speak  to  you  ever  since."  This  man  was  properly  in- 
structed, became  a  convert  to  Christ,  and  lived  worthy  of 
the  Gospel.  — Anecdotes  by  London  Tract  Soc,  p.  66. 

THE  GABMENT  OF   SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

It  happened  some  years  ago  that  a  white  man  and  a  North 
American  Indian  were  deeply  convicted  under  the  same  ser- 
mon. The  Indian  was  almost  immediately  made  to  rejoice  in 
pardoning  mercy  ;  but  tlie  white  man  was  for  a  long  time  in 
great  distress  of  mind,  and  sometimes  almost  ready  to  de- 
spair, till  at  last  he  too  found  comfort  in  God's  forgiving 
love.  Sometime  afterwards,  on  meeting  his  Indian  brother, 
he  thus  addressed  him  :  "  IIow  was  it  that  I  should  be  so 
long  under  conviction,  when  you  found  comfort  so  soon  ?  " — 
"  0,  brother,"  replied  the  Indian,  "  me  tell  you  :  there  come 
along  a  rich  prince  ;  he  promise  to  give  you  a  new  coat ;  you 
look  at  your  coat,  and  say,  '  I  don't  know,  my  coat  pretty 
good,  it  will  do  a  little  longer.'  He  then  offer  me  a  new 
coat ;  I  look  at  my  old  blanket ;  I  say,  '  This  good  for  noth- 
ing ; '  I  fling  it  right  away,  and  take  the  new  coat.  Just 
so,  brother,  j'ou  try  to  make  your  old  righteousness  do  for 
a  little  while  ;  you  loath  to  give  it  up  ;  but  I,  poor  Indian, 
had  none,  so  I  glad  to  receive  at  once  the  righteousness  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  — J'uie.  Miss.  Her.,  18i6,  p.  132. 
•7* 


THE  LION  CHANGED  TO  A  LAMB. 


THE  TERROR  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

The  power  of  the  Gospel  to  change  the  most  fierce  and 
savage  natiu'e  into  that  of  a  mild  and  loving-  cliild,  is  forci- 
bly illustrated  in  the  following  account  of  Christian  Afri- 
caner, given  b}^  Rev.  Mr.  Moffat,  missionary  in  Southern 
Africa.  Africaner  had  been  tlio  terror  of  tlie  whole  country 
round,  and  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  convince  the  people 
that  he  was  changed,  or  that  it  was  safe  to  go  near  him.  A 
Namaqua  chief,  standing  with  Mr.  Moffat,  and  pointing  to 
Africaner,  who  was  entreating  parties  ripe  for  a  battle,  to 
live  at  peace  with  each  other,  said,  "  Look,  there  is  the 
man,  once  the  lion,  at  whose  roar  even  the  inhabitants  of 
distant  hamlets  fled  from  their  homes  !  Yes,  and  I," — pat- 
ting his  chest  with  his  hand,  —  "have,  for  fear  of  his  ap- 
proach, fled  with  my  people,  our  wives  and  our  babes,  to 
the  mountain  glen  or  to  the  wilderness,  and  spent  nights 
among  beasts  of  prey,  rather  than  gaze  on  the  eyes  of  this 
lion,  or  hear  his  roar,"  Mr.  Moffat  says,  "  The  flirmers 
were  sceptical  to  the  last  degree  about  his  conversion,  and 
predicted  mj''  destruction  if  1  went  near  him.  One  said  ho 
would  set  me  for  a  mark  for  his  boys  to  shoot  at;  anotlier, 
that  he  would  strip  off  my  skin  and  make  a  drum  of  it  to 
dance  to  ;  and  another  most  consoling  prediction  was  that 
he  would  make  a  drinking-cup  of  my  skull."  Of  the  con- 
trast between  Africaner  as  the  ferocious  savage,  and  as  the 
docile  and  tender-hearted  Christian,  Mr.  Moflat  says,  "It 
may  be  emphatically  said  of  him,  after  his  conversion,  he 
wept  with  those  that  wept,  for  wherever  he  heard  of  a  case 
of  distress,  tliither  his  sympathies  were  directed;  and  be 
was  ever  on  tlie  alert  to  stretch  out  a  helping  hand  to  the 
widow  and  fatherless.  lie  who  w^as  formerl}'^  like  a  fire- 
brand, speading  discord,  enmity  and  war,  among  the  neigh- 
boring tribes,  would  now  make  any  sacrifice  to  prevent  a 


THE  TERROR  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  79 

collision  between  contending  parties  ;  and  when  he  miglit 
liave  lifted  his  arm  and  dared  them  to  raise  a  spear  or  draw 
a  bow,  he  wonid  stand  in  the  attitude  of  a  suppliant,  and 
entreat  them  to  be  reconciled  to  each  other ;  and,  pointing 
to  his  past  life,  ask,  '  What  have  I  now  of  all  the  battles  I 
have  fought,  and  all  the  cattle  I  took,  but  shame  and  re- 
morse ?  '  "  An  interview  between  Mr.  Moffat  and  a  farmer 
of  the  capo,  who  had  lived  in  great  dread  of  xVfricaner,  is 
thus  described  :  "  On  seeing  nie  again,  he  asked  who  I  was. 
I  replied  that  I  was  Mofl'at.  *  Mofiat ! '  he  exclaimed,  with 
a  faltering  voice  ;  'it 's  your  ghost ; '  and  moved  backwards. 
1  told  him  I  was  no  ghost.  '  Don't  come  near  me,'  he  ex- 
claimed ;  'you  have  long  been  murdered  by  Africaner.'  I 
tried  to  convince  him  of  my  materiality ;  but  he  continued, 
'  Everybody  says  you  was  murdered,  and  a  man  told  me  he 
had  seen  your  bones.'  At  length  he  extended  his  trembling 
hand,  saying,  '  When  did  you  rise  from  the  dead  ? '  I  ex- 
plained to  him  the  change  in  Africaner's  character,  and  that 
he  was  now  a  good  man  ;  to  which  he  replied,  '  I  can  believe 
almost  anj^thing  you  say,  but  that  I  cannot  credit ;  there 
are  seven  wonders  in  the  world,  —  that  would  be  the  eighth.' 
The  farmer  said  that,  if  what  had  been  told  him  was  true,  he 
had  but  one  wish,  and  that  was  to  see  Africaner  before  he 
died.  We  went  to  see  him  ;  and,  on  coming  into  his  pres- 
ence, I  said,  '  This  is  Africaner.'  The  farmer  started  back, 
looking  earnestly  at  the  man,  and  at  length  exclaimed,  '  Are 
3'ou  Africaner  ? '  The  latter  doffed  his  old  hat,  and,  making 
a  polite  bow,  answered,  'I  am.'  The  farmer  was  thunder- 
struck ;  but  when  he  had  assured  himself  of  the  fact  that 
the  former  bugbear  of  the  border  stood  before  him,  meek 
and  lamb-like  in  his  whole  deportment,  he  lifted  up  his  eyes 
and  exclaimed,  '  0  God,  what  a  miracle  of  thy  power  !  What 
cannot  thy  grace  accomplish  ?'  "  Respecting  an  interview 
between  Africaner  and  a  rival  chief,  now  also  converted,  Mr. 
Mofiat  says,  "  These  chiefs  sat  down  together  in  our  tent 
with  a  number  of  our  people,  when  all  united  in  singing  a 
hymn  of  praise  to  God,  after  which  they  knelt  at  the  same 
stool,  before  the  peaceful  throne  of  the  Redeemer.  Thus 
the  Gospel  makes 

'  Lions,  and  beasts  of  savnpje  name. 
Put  on  the  nature  of  the  himb.'  " 

When  Africaner  found  his  end  approaching,  he  called  all 
his  people  together,  after  the  example  of  Joshua,  and  gave 


80  THE   LION   CHANGED   TO    A   LAMB. 

them  directions  as  to  their  future  conduct,  exhorting  them 
to  remain  togotlier,  and  live  in  peace,  and  to  receive  any 
teacher  that  might  come  to  them  as  one  sent  from  God. 
He  added,  "  My  former  life  is  stained  with  blood  ;  but  Jesus 
Christ  has  pardoned  me,  and  I  am  going  to  heaven.  0  ! 
beware  of  falling  into  the  same  evils  into  which  I  have  led 
you  frequently  ;  but  seek  God,  and  he  will  be  found  of  you 
to  direct  you'"  — Miss.  Her.,  1842,  p.  318. 

THE  HOTTENTOT  SUBDUED. 

Even  the  Hottentot  yields  to  the  power  of  the  Gospel. 
A  scene  is  described  by  Rev.  Jonas  Read,  of  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society,  in  South  Africa,  which  is  full  of  interest. 
It  had  been  in  contemplation  for  some  time  to  do  something 
for  the  Bushmen  and  Tambookies,  on  the  Kat  river;  and, 
in  the  summer  of  1839  Mr.  Read  went,  with  some  native 
teachers,  to  establish  a  mission  among  them.  One  of  these 
teachers  was  Boosman,  an  old  Hottentot  disciple  ;  and,  as 
soon  as  he  was  introduced  to  Kallagalla,  the  Tambookie 
chief,  a  friend  of  the  missionaries,  he  was  much  affected, 
and  said,  weeping,  "  Kallagalla,  my  heart  opens  now  that  I 
see  you.  I  thank  God  that  he  has  brought  me  to  you,  and 
I  give  myself  up  to  serve  you  ;  where  you  flee,  1 11  flee, 
whether  in  the  mountain,  plain,  or  river  ;  where  you  die,  I 
am  ready  to  die.  I  am  come  to  you  to  show  you  and  your 
people  the  way  to  heaven,  and  you  can  know  by  me  that  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons ;  for,  as  you  see,  I  am  one  of  the 
most  despicable  and  unseemly  of  mankind.  But  God  has 
opened  my  heart,  and*  given  me  to  see  the  way  of  salvation 
through  Jesus  Christ  his  Son."  Mr.  Read  adds,  "  I  shall 
never  forget  his  leaving  us,  trudging  after  the  chief  with 
his  blanket  on  his  shoulders,  and  singing  and  weeping  as  he 
went."  —  Z/on.  Miss.  Mag.,  1810,  p.  61. 

A  NOTED  CHIEF  AND  MUKDEEER. 

Vara,  chief  of  Aimeo,  one  of  the  Tahiti  and  Society 
Islands,  had  been  a  notoriously  cruel  and  wicked  man,  and 
having,  for  his  daring  and  blood-thirsty  disposition,  been 
'employed  as  a  pi^ocurer  of  human  sacrifices,  he  had,  of 
course,  committed  numerous  deeds  of  a  most  horrible  na- 
ture. On  one  occasion  Pomare  (then  unconverted)  ordered 
him  to  obtain  a  sacrifice  immediately  ;  and,  as  he  started 
off,  not  knowing  just  where  to  go  for  a  victim,  his  oivn  little 
brother  followed,  crying  after  him  ;  upon  which  he  seized  a 


A    NOTED    CHIEF    AND    MURDEEEE.  81  ' 

stone,  and,  with  a  blow  upon  the  head,  killed  the  boy,  put 
him  into  a  basket,  and  sent  him  to  Pomare  !  When  his 
mother  bewailed  the  death  of  her  son,  Vara  abused  her,  and 
said,  "  Is  not  the  favor  of  the  gods,  the  pleasure  of  the 
king,  and  the  security  of  our  possessions,  worth  more  than 
that  little  fool  of  a  brother  ?  "  So  perfectly  did  this  chief 
answer  to  the  scriptural  representation,  "  Without  natural 
aftection,  implacable,  unmerciful."  Another  office  held  by 
Vara  was  to  rally  dispirited  warriors  ;  and  many  a  night 
has  he  spent  in  trying  to  rouse  the  savage  spirit  of  the 
people,  by  assuring  them,  on  the  authority  of  a  pretended 
communication  from  some  god,  of  their  success  in  an  ap- 
proaching battle.  But  this  implacable  and  unmerciful 
heathen  was  made  a  7ieio  creature  by  the  power  of  the  Gos- 
pel !  He  received  baptism  at  the  hands  of  the  missionary, 
and  for  many  years  was  a  humble  and  consistent  Christian. 
When  at  length  he  fell  sick,  and  the  hope  of  life  was  past, 
he  was  asked,  "  Are  you  sorry  that  you  cast  away  your 
lying  gods,  by  which  you  gained  so  much  property  ? " 
Rousing  from  his  lethargy,  he  replied,  "0,  no,  no,  no  I 
AVhat !  can  I  be  sorry  for  casting  away  death  for  life  ? 
Jesus  is  my  rock  —  the  fortification  in  which  my  soul  takes 
shelter."  The  missionary  said,  "Tell  me  on  what  you 
found  your  hopes  of  future  blessedness."  He  replied,  "I 
have  been  very  wicked,  but  a  great  king  from  the  other  side 
of  the  skies  sent  his  ambassadors  with  terms  of  peace.  We 
could  not  tell  for  many  years  what  these  ambassadors 
wanted.  At  length  Pomare  obtained  a  victory,  and  invited 
all  his  subjects  to  come  and  take  refuge  under  the  wing  of 
Jesus,  and  I  was  one  of  the  first  to  do  so.  The  blood  of 
Jenus  is  my  foundation.  I  grieve  that  all  my  children  do 
not  love  him.  Had  they  known  the  misery  we  endured  in 
the  reign  of  the  devil,  they  would  gladly  take  the  Gospel 
in  exchange  for  their  follies.  Jesus  is  the  best  king  ;  he 
gives  a  jnlloiv  loithout  thorns."  Soon  after  this.  Vara  was 
asked  if  he  was  afraid  to  die,  when,  with  almost  youthful 
energy,  he  replied,  "  No,  no  !  The  canoe  is  in  the  sea,  the 
sails  are  spread,  she  is  ready  for  the  gale.  I  have  a  good 
pilot  to  guide  me,  and  a  good  heaven  to  receive  me.  My 
outside  man  and  my  inside  man  differ.  Let  the  one  rot  till 
the  trump  shall  sound,  but  let  my  soul  wing  her  way  to 
the  throne  of  Jesus."  What  but  the  Gospel-system  ever 
brought  such  a  man  to  such  a  dying  bed  ?  —  Williams's 
Miss.  Enter,  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  339. 


82  THE   LION   CHANGED    TO   A   LAMB. 

A  MIRACLE   OF  GRACE. 

Job,  the  Sandwich  Islander,  was  a  worshipper  of  idols, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  all  their  abominations.  So  hard- 
ened and  daring-  was  he,  that  the  chiefs  employed  hiin  to  do 
their  most  wicked  and  horrid  work  ;  and  he  shrank  from 
nothing-.  It  was  made  a  part  of  his  business  to  commit 
mnrder.  He  would  do  it  with  as  little  reluctance  as  a  man 
would  kill  an  animal.  lie  killed  those  who  had  never 
harmed  liin^,  and  who  had  done  nothing  worthy  of  death. 
Whenever  the  chiefs  wanted  any  one  to  be  put  out  of  the 
way,  they  knew  where  to  find  an  instrument,  bold  and  piti- 
less enough  to  do  the  base  and  murderous  deed.  One  who 
could  perform  such  acts  for  others  would  not  be  slow  to 
perform  them  for  himself  He  had  shed  a  great  deal  of 
innocent  blood,  and  there  was  not  a  worse  man  on  the 
island.  But  the  Gospel  came  to  Molokai,  his  residence,  and 
Job  was  among  the  earliest  of  its  converts.  He  became  a 
meek,  humble,  zealous  follower  of  the  Lamb.  With  great 
zeal  he  entered  on  his  new  life.  He  had  served  Satan  many 
years  ;  he  now  wanted  to  serve  Christ  as  faithfully.  He 
did  so.  His  path  became  that  of  the  just,  shining  more 
and  more.  He  had  not  much  talents,  nor  great  learning  ; 
but  the  love  of  God  constrained  him.  A  few  miles  from  his 
house  was  a  village,  where  a  few  people  had  met  occasion- 
ally, in  an  old  dilapidated  grass-house,  to  pray.  They  had 
almost  ceased  to  meet,  and  their  house  was  fast  going  to 
decay.  Job  went  there,  and  met  with  them  ;  and,  as  he 
exhorted  and  prayed,  the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  the 
place.  The  meetings  grew  longer  and  more  frequent ;  the 
impenitent  and  children  came  in,  and  sinners  began  to  be 
converted.  A  better  house  was  needed.  Job  shouldered 
his  axe,  and  led  the  way  to  the  mountains.  All  followed 
him.  They  cut  down  timber,  and  brought  it  to  the  shore, 
and  soon  had  a  large,  commodious,  and  attractive  house, 
instead  of  the  old  one. 

A  little  further  off  was  another  village,  which  was  in  an 
equally  bad  plight.  No  sooner  had  success  crowned  the 
efforts  of  Job  in  the  first,  than  he  went  to  this  ;  and,  almost 
immediately,  sinners  began  to  be  converted,  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  evidently  worked  with  him.  Ibn-e,  too,  a  new  house 
was  speedily  erected,  and  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  old 
man's  zeal.  But  he  was  not  weary  in  well-doing,  and  went 
right  to  another  place,  where  his  labors  were  attended  with 
like  results.     A  short  time  ago  (this  narrative  was  written 


TRYING    THE    EXPERIMENT.  83 

in  1852),  the  third  house  built  through  his  instrumentality 
was  dedicated  to  God  as  a  house  of  prayer,  lie  has  now 
gone  over  the  mountains,  a  greater  distance  from  his  home, 
to  another  place  where  his  labors  are  also  needed.  Thus  ho 
continues  to  bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age.  His  course  will 
soon  be  ended,  and  then  he  will  enter  into  the  joy  of  his 
Lord.  How  wonderful  the  change  1  What  a  case  of  regen- 
eration, of  new  birth  !  Did  ever  any  agency  but  the  Spirit 
of  God,  through  the  Gospel,  transform  such  a  man  as  Job 
into  a  disciple  and  soldier  of  Christ,  such  as  he  became  ? 

TRYING-  THE  EXPERIMENT. 

Malietoa,  King  of  Savai,  one  of  the  South  Sea  Islands, 
having  become  favorable  to  Christianity,  with  many  of  his 
people,  and  erected  a  chapel,  the  time  came  for  the  public 
dedication  of  this  place  of  worship,  when  the  king  called 
his  family  together,  most  of  whom  had  reached  manhood, 
and  stated  to  them  that  he  was  about  to  fulfil  his  promise  to 
become  a  worshipper  of  Jehovah.  With  one  accord  they 
replied,  that,  if  it  was  good  for  him,  it  was  equally  so  for 
them,  and  that  they  would  follow  his  example.  But  to  this 
he  objected,  and  declared  that,  if  they  did  so,  he  would 
adhere  to  the  old  system.  "  Do  you  not  know,"  he  said, 
"that  the  gods  will  be  enraged  with  me  for  abandoning 
them,  and  endeavor  to  destroy  me  ?  and,  perhaps,  Jehovah 
may  not  have  power  to  protect  me  against  the  efiects  of 
their  anger.  My  proposition  is,  therefore,  that  I  should  try 
the  experiment  of  becoming  his  worshipper,  and  then,  if 
he  can  protect  me,  you  may  with  safety  follow  my  exam- 
ple ;  but,  if  not,  I  only  shall  fall  a  victim  to  their  vengeance 
—  you  will  be  safe."  The  young  men  manifested  great  re- 
luctance to  comply  with  this  request,  and  wished  to  know 
how  long  a  time  he  required  to  make  this  singular  experi- 
ment. He  informed  them  that  he  desired  a  month  or  six 
weeks  ;  and,  after  some  debate,  they  unwillingly  acquiesced 
in  his  proposition.  It  was,  however,  a  time  of  general 
and  intense  excitement,  and  messengers  were  frequently 
despatched  to  different  parts  of  the  island  to  announce  the 
triumphs  of  Jehovah's  power.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
third  week,  however,  the  patience  of  the  young  men  was 
exhausted,  and,  on  going  to  their  father,  they  stated  that 
he  had  tried  his  experiment  sufficiently  long  ;  that  no  evil 
had  befallen  him,  and  that,  therefore,  they  would  imme- 
diately follow  his  example.     He  gave  his  consent ;  when, 


84  THE   LION   CHANGED   TO   A    LAMB. 

not  only  his  relatives,  but  nearly  all  the  people,  abandoned 
their  heathen  worship.  A  day  was  appointed  for  their  pub- 
lic renunciation  of  Heathenism,  and  the  necessary  ceremo- 
nies were  adopted.  Subsequently,  a  large  meeting  was 
convened  to  consult  respecting  the  destruction  of  Papo, 
Avhich  was  only  a  piece  of  old  rotten  matting,  about  three 
yards  long,  and  four  inches  in  width ;  but  as  this  was  the 
god  of  war,  and  always  attached  to  the  canoe  of  their  leader 
when  they  went  forth  to  battle,  it  was  regarded  with  great 
veneration.  At  the  meeting,  one  person  proposed  that  Papo 
should  be  thrown  into  the  fire  ;  but  drowning  was  finally 
decided  upon ;  and,  for  this  purpose,  a  new  canoe  was 
launched,  a  stone  was  tied  to  the  god,  and  he  was  taken  into 
the  canoe  to  be  consigned  to  a  watery  grave.  But  the 
native  teachers,  hearing  of  this,  paddled  ofli'as  quick  as  pos- 
sible in  another  boat,  rescued  Papo,  and  gave  this  notable 
god  of  war  to  Rev.  J.  Williams,  who  took  it  to  England 
and  deposited  it  in  the  Missionary  Museum. — TVilliams's 
Miss.  Enter,  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  393. 

GBIEF   FOR    MURDERED    CHILDREN". 

Converted  heathen  often  manifest  the  most  intense  sorrow 
for  the  children  which  they  murdered  in  their  former  blind- 
ness. A  Feegee  mother,  the  wife  of  a  chief,  when  about  to 
die,  sent  for  the  missionary,  Mr.  Williams,  and,  as  he  entered 
her  room,  she  exclaimed,  "  0,  servant  of  God  !  come  and  tell 
me  what  I  must  do."  He  perceived  that  she  was  suffering 
great  mental  distress,  and  inquired  the  cause  of  it ;  when 
she  replied,  "I  am  about  to  die — I  am  about  to  die."  — 
"  Well,"  Mr.  W.  said,  "  if  it  be  so,  what  creates  this  agony 
of  mind  ?  "  —  "01  my  sins,  my  sins  1 "  she  cried  ;  "  1  am 
about  to  die."  Pie  inquired  what  the  particular  sins  were 
which  so  greatly  distressed  her,  when  she  exclaimed,  "  0, 
my  children  !  my  murdered  children  !  I  am  about  to  die, 
and  I  shall  meet  them  all  at  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ." 
Upon  this,  the  missionary  inquired  how  many  children  she 
had  destroyed  ;  and,  to  his  astonishment,  she  replied,  "  I 
have  destroyed  sixteen!  and  now  am  about  to  die."  He 
tried  to  comfort  her,  by  explaining  that  those  were  the 
times  of  ignorance,  which  God  winked  at ;  but  this  afforded 
her  no  consolation,  and  she  again  gave  vent  to  her  agonized 
feelings,  by  exclaiming,  "0,  my  ^children,  my  children!" 
She  died  iik  the  animating  hope  that  her  sins,  though  many, 
were  forgiven. 


GRIEF   FOR   MURDERED    CHILDREN.  85 

At  a  public  meeting,  in  the  same  islands,  for  the  examina- 
tion of  school  children,  a  large  number  of  parents  being 
present,  many  a  father  and  mother  wci-e  heard  to  say,  witli 
eyes  gleaming  with  delight,  "  What  a  mercy  it  is  that  we 
spared  our  dear  girl!"  Others,  with  faltering  voices, 
lamented  in  bitterness  that  they  had  not  saved  theirs  ;  and 
some,  with  tears,  told  the  painful  tale  that  all  their  cliildren 
were  destroyed.  In  the  midst  of  these  proceedings,  a  ven- 
erable chief,  gray  with  age,  arose,  and,  with  impassioned 
look  and  manner,  exclaimed,  "  Let  me  speak  ;  I  must  speak !  " 
On  obtaining  permission,  he  said,  "  0,  that  I  had  known 
that  the  Gospel  was  coming!  0,  that  I  had  known  that 
these  blessings  were  in  store  for  us  !  then  I  should  have 
saved  my  children,  and  they  would  have  been  among  this 
happy  group.  But,  alas  !  I  destroyed  them  all,  and  have 
not  one  left."  Then  the  distressed  chief,  turning  to  the  . 
chairman  of  the  meeting,  a  relative,  stretched  out  his  arm, 
and  exclaimed,  "  You,  my  brother,  saw  me  kill  child  after 
child,  but  you  never  seized  my  murderous  hand,  and  said, 
'  Stay,  brother,  God  is  about  to  bless  us ;  the  Gospel  of 
salvation  is  coming  to  our  shores.'  "  Then  he  cursed  the 
gods  which  they  formerly  worshipped,  and  added,  "  It  was 
you  that  infused  this  savage  disposition  into  us,  and  now  I 
shall  die  childless,  although  I  have  been  the  father  of  nine- 
teen children."  The  chief  and  father,  brought  to  a  sense  of 
his  great  loss,  then  sat  down,  and  gave  vent  to  his  agonized 
feelings  in  a  flood  of  grief 

One  more  remarkable  and  exciting  case  is  thus  recorded 
by  Mr.  Williams.  It  was  the  case  of  a  chief  woman,  who 
had  been  married  to  a  man  of  inferior  rank  ;  and  it  was  the 
universal  custom  to  desti'oy  the  children  of  such  a  union. 
The  first  babe  was  born,  and  put  to  death.  The  fatlicr 
wished  the  second  to  be  spared,  but  the  mother  and  the 
mother's  i-elatives  demanded  its  destruction.  The  third 
was  a  fine  girl.  The  father  pleaded  and  entreated  that  it 
might  be  saved,  for  his  bowels  yearned  over  it ;  but  the 
mother  and  the  mother's  relatives  agahi  carried  their  point, 
and  the  babe  was  doomed  to  die.  One  of  the  numerous 
modes  of  destroying  the  lives  of  children  was,  to  put  the 
unconscious  victim  in  a  hole,  covered  with  a  plank  to  keep 
the  earth  from  pressing  it,  and  leave  it  there  to  perish.  This 
method  was  adopted  in  the  present  instance.  The  father 
happened  to  be  in  the  mountains  at  the  time  of  the  child's 
birth  and  interment ;  but,  on  his  return,  he  hastened  to  the 


86  THE    LION   CHANGED    TO   A   LAMB. 

spot,  opened  the  grave,  and,  finding  that  the  child  was  not 
dead,  ho  took  her  up,  and  gave  her  in  charge  to  his  brotlier 
and  sister,  by  whom  she  was  conveyed  to  the  island  of 
Aimeo,  about  seventy  miles  distant,  where  they  trained  her 
up.  The  husband  died,  without  informing  his  wife  that 
their  daughter  was  still  alive.  After  Cliristianity  was 
embraced,  the  mother  was,  on  one  occasion,  bewailing  most 
bitterly  the  destruction  of  her  children  ;  when  a  woman,  who 
happened  to  be  present,  and  who  was  acquainted  with  the 
foot  of  the  child's  disinterment,  astonished  and  overwliplmed 
her  with  the  announcement  that  her  daughter  had  been 
saved,  and  was  yet  living  at  Aimeo.  A  short  time  after 
receiving  this  extraordinary  intelligence,  she  sailed  for 
Aimeo,  and,  on  reaching  the  shore,  hurried  with  excited 
feeling  to  the  house  other  relatives,  and,  as  she  approached 
it,  beheld,  with  wonder  and  delight,  a  fine  young  girl  stand- 
ing in  the  door-way.  At  once  she  recognized  Iter  own  image 
in  the  countenance  of  Ihe  child !  It  was  her  daughter.  She 
clasped  the  treasure  to  her  bosom,  and  exclaimed,  "  Rejoice 
with  me,  for  this,  my  daughter,  was  dead  and  is  alive 
again  !  "  The  mother  went  to  her  rest,  but  the  daughter 
became  an  active  teacher  in  one  of  the  mission  schools,  and 
a  consistent  member  of  a  Christian  church.  —  WiUianis's 
Hiss.  Enter,  in  South  Seas,  p.  500. 

THE   MURDEREK   OF    WILLIAMS. 

John  Williams,  as  is  well  known,  was  a  missionary  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  to  the  South  Sea  Islands  ;  and 
was  murdered  at  Erromanga,  one  of  the  New  Hebrides,  by 
a  native.  A  letter  from  the  captain  of  the  missionar}^  ship 
John  Williams,  received  at  the  London  Mission-house,  in 
1854,  reports  a  visit  to  Erromanga,  and  says  that,  during 
the  stay  of  the  vessel  off  the  island,  the  very  man,  who 
levelled  the  fatal  blow  at  Mr.  Williams,  came  on  board. 
He  is  now  a  learner  of  Christianity.  The  question  was  put 
to  him,  why  he  killed  the  missionary.  Ilis  reply  was, 
"  White  man  had  been  to  the  island,  and  had  slain  his 
brother  and  his  sister,  and  he  feared  this  white  man  would 
do  likewise,  and  so  he  killed  him."  The  island  is  now,  to  a 
great  extent,  reclaimed  from  heathenism,  by  the  labors  of 
native  evangelists. 


THE  MARTYR  SPIRIT  OF  NATIVE  CHRISTIANS. 


The  apostles  and  tlieir  immediate  successors  were  not 
more  distinguished  fur  their  firm  and  consistent  conduct, 
under  persecutions  and  violent  deaths,  than  have  been  many 
converts  to  Christianity  in  modern  missionary  fields  ;  and 
this  fact  is  of  immense  practical  importance,  as  showing 
that  the  religion  of  the  Gospel,  in  its  real  spirit  and  power, 
is  the  same  now  as  when  first  exemplified  on  the  cross  and 
at  the  stake,  —  that  it  has  lost  none  of  its  vitality,  and 
sufiered  no  depreciation  in  the  boldness,  decision,  and  for- 
titude, with  which  it  inspires  its  disciples  in  the  hour  of 
conflict  and  trial.  In  countries  nominally  Christian  little 
opportunity  is  furnished  for  the  demonstration  of  this  truth  ; 
and  the  inference  often  is,  that  Christians  who  wage  an  un- 
steady or  unsuccessful  warfare  with  the  many  temptations 
to  worldliness,  would,  of  courf^e,  utterly  fail  in  the  harder 
and  hotter  fights  of  the  prison,  torture  and  fagot,  I'or 
Christ's  sake.  Such  is  by  no  means  the  truth  ;  the  reason- 
ing is  superficial.  There  is  sufficient  ground  for  the  asser- 
tion, that  if  the  fires  of  persecution  were  to  be  kindled  in 
this  country,  in  New  England  even.  Christians  by  thou- 
sands, as  in  Madagascar,  Syria,  India  and  elsewhere,  would 
be  found  ready  to  suffer  for-Christ,  —  for  him  and  the  Gospel 
to  accept  the  dungeon,  the  stake,  the  spear.  The  examples 
given  below  may  confirm  in  a  measure  this  truth,  and  ought 
certainly  to  establish  all  believers  in  the  reality  and  pre- 
ciousness  of  the  faith  they  have  received. 


88  THE   MAETYR   SPIRIT  OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

HOUSEHOLD  FOES. 

In  heathen  countries  the  saying  is  every  day  verified,  that 
"a  man's  foes  sliall  be  they  of  his  own  household."  Said 
a  young  man  at  Trehizond,  to  the  missionary,  Mr.  Bliss, 
"Seven  years  has  my  father  been  trying,  in  every  way,  to 
hinder  me  from  reading  and  obeying  the  Gospel ;  and,  though 
I  have  endeavored  to  soften  his  heart  towards  me  by  the 
most  dutiful  conduct,  it  has  been  iitterly  without  efiect." 
He  then  added,  as  a  specimen,  that  a  few  mornings  ago,  as 
he  was  sitting  in  his  room,  studying  the  Gospel,  his  father 
came  in  and  began  to  upbraid  him,  in  the  most  violent  man- 
ner, for  not  having  been  to  church  that  morning,  it  being  a 
week-day.  From  wopds  he  proceeded  to  blows,  the  son  all 
the  Avhile  making  no  reply  but  saying,  "Hear  me,  father; 
why  do  you  beat  me  ?  "  The  violence  of  the  father's  anger 
having  abated  a  little,  he  called  in  a  priest  and  half  a  dozen 
other  influential  men  to  remonstrate  with  his  son.  After 
abusing  him  severely,  the  priest  asked  him,  "  Why  do  you 
leave  me  to  run  after  foreign  priests  ?  Am  I  not  a  priest?  " 
The  son  replied,  "If  you  are  a  priest,  where  are  the  fruits 
of  your  ministry  ?  How  many  men  have  you  ever  gained 
over  to  the  service  of  God  ?  "  At  these  and  similar  search- 
ing questions,  the  priest  was  silent,  and  the  interview 
ended. 

Another  father,  at  the  same  place,  after  having  severely 
beaten  his  son,  and  burnt  his  Testament,  told  him  that,  unless 
he  gave  up  reading  that  book,  he  would  turn  him  out  of  his 
house.  "Very  well,  father,"  said  the  son,  "if  you  wish  me 
to  leave  you  for  the  Gospel's  sake,  I  am  ready  to  go."  At 
this  the  father  relented,  and  dropped  the  conversation. 
Thus  religion  not  only  embitters  ungodly  relatives,  but 
teaches  a  child  in  what  spirit  to  answer  a  persecuting 
father.— J/^ss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  296. 

NOT  PEACE,   BUT  A  SWORD. 

The  following  is  one  among  the  many  painful  narratives, 
which  serve  to  illustrate  the  truth  and  meaning  of  the  dec- 
laration, that  Christ  came  "not  to  send  peace  but  a  sword." 
The  statement  is  taken  from  the  journal  of  Messrs.  Clarkson 
and  Taylor,  of  the  London  Miss.  Soc,  in  Northern  India, 
and  may  be  found  in  the  London  Hiss.  Mag.  for  Aug.,  1849. 
They  say,  "In  the  case  of  five  converts,  their  wives  have 
refused  to  join  them  ;  there  is  no  subordination  in  famihes. 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  MADAGASCAR.  89 

The  child  will  rail  against  the  parent,  and  the  wife  will  shut 
the  door  against  her  husband.  Everything  in  their  present 
social  and  domestic  circumstances  is  calculated  to  wear 
down  the  spirits  of  the  converts,  and  drive  them  to  despair. 
If  God  do  not  abide  with  them  they  are  of  all  men  most  mis- 
erable. In  one  case,  a  convert  had  his  two  children  taken 
from  him,  by  his  own  brother,  with  a  drawn  sword.  In  an- 
other case,  an  unbelieving  son,  in  indignation  against  a 
believing  father,  swallowed  opium  to  destroy  himself,  but 
was  saved  from  death.  In  another  case,  an  unbelieving 
mother  and  a  believing  son  who  is  married  have,  by  mutual 
consent,  built  up  a  wall  in  their  dwellings,  to  divide,  so  as 
to  bar  access  to  one  another's  families.  In  another  case,  a 
very  pious  man  was  imprisoned  by  order  of  the  authorities, 
owing  to  the  petition  of  his  own  brother,  who  declared  that 
he  should  lose  caste  were  he  to  dwell  near  him."  The  mis- 
sionaries add,  "  Verily  the  consistent  Christian  among  the 
heathen  is  something  more  than  worldly  men  conceive  of. 
Nothing  but  the  powers  of  the  unseen  world  can  make  a 
man  give  up  house  and  land,  father  and  sister  and  brother, 
nay,  his  own  wife  and  children." 

THE   MARTYRS   OF  MADAGASCAR. 

The  reality  and  power  of  the  religion  of  Christ  were  never 
more  forcibly  illustrated,  not  even  by  the  primitive  martyrs, 
than  by  the  converts  to  Christianity  in  Madagascar.  Two 
cases  may  be  cited  as  examples.  The  first  martyr  to  the 
cause  of  Christ  in  Madagascar,  was  Rasalama,  a  woman  of 
strong  mind,  and  whose  piety  had  shone  with  peculiar  lustre 
for  six  or  seven  years.  In  1836,  an  accusation  was  laid 
against  her,  that  slie  observed  the  Sabbath,  retained  and 
read  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures,  and  conversed  on  religious 
subjects.  For  these  crimes  she  was  condemned  to  death, 
in  the  daily  prospect  of  which  she  remarked  to  a  friend,  that 
as  to  her  life  she  felt  indifferent ;  that  if  her  blood  were  to 
be  shed  on  the  land,  she  trusted  it  might  be  the  means  of 
kindling  such  a  feeling  of  interest  in  Madagascar,  as  should 
never  be  extinguished.  She  was  not  immediately  executed  ; 
but,  on  some  Christian  books  being  found  near  her  residence, 
she  was  secured,  and  her  hands  and  feet  loaded  with  heavy 
irons.  After  being  menaced  eight  or  ten  days,  to  induce 
her  to  impeach  her  companions,  she  remained  firm,  and  was 
put  to  death  by  spearing,  August,  1837,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
eight.  She  Avas  most  wonderfully  supported  in  her  last 
8* 


90  THE   MARTYR   SPIRIT  OF   NATIVE    CHRISTIANS. 

moments,  having  repeatedly  said  to  an  intimate  friend,  by 
letter,  "Do  not  fear  on  my  account;  I  am  ready  and  pre- 
pared to  die  ibr  Jesus,  if  such  be  the  will  of  God."  In 
relation  to  her  death,  a  missionary,  familiar  with  the  facts, 
remarks,  "Never  did  a  Christian  martyr,  in  the  annals  of 
the  church,  suffer  from  motives  more  pure,  simple,  and  un- 
mixed with  earthly  alloy.  She  had  never  heard  of  any  after 
glory  of  martyrdom  here  on  earth.  No  external  splendor 
had  been  cast  around  the  subject,  in  her  mind,  by  reading 
any  lives  of  martyrs.  All  was  to  her  obloquy  and  contempt. 
Iler  own  father  and  relatives,  to  the  very  last,  accused  her 
of  stubbornness.  She  had  no  earthly  friends  to  support  and 
cheer  her.  But  her  whole  heart,  as  her  letters  testify,  was 
filled  with  the  love  of  Jesus,  and  she  endured  as  seeing  him 
who  is  invisible.  Her  letters  abounded  in  Scripture  expres- 
sions, as  the  following  specimen  shows.  It  was  written  to 
Mr.  Johns,  missionary,  shortly  before  her  last  imprison- 
ment :  '  Blessed  God,  who  hath  given  ns  access  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  My  earnest  prayer  to  God  is,  that  he  would 
enable  me  to  obey  the  words  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples,  "  If 
any  man  desire  to  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself." 
Hence,  then,  none  of  these  things  move  me,  neither  count 
I  my  life  dear  to  myself,  that  I  may  finish  my  course  in  the 
service  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Do  not  you 
missionaries  grieve,  under  the  idea  that  j^our  labor  here  has 
been  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  Through  the  blessing  of  God  it 
succeeds.  If  our  Gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are 
lost ;  but  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  them  that 
believe.  Here  is  my  ground  of  confidence.  The  power  of 
God  cannot  be  effectually  resisted.  I  will  go  in  the  strength 
of  the  Lord.  May  I  be  found  in  him,  not  having  mine  own 
righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through 
the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by 
faith,  that  I  may  know  him,  and  the  power  of  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings,  being  made  con- 
formable unto  his  death.  Pray  for  us,  that  the  Lord  may 
open  the  door  for  his  word  among  us.'  She  was  most 
severely  flogged  for  several  days  before  she  was  put  to 
death,  —  a  thing  never  heard  of  before  in  Madagascar  ;  but 
she  continued  steadfast,  and  met  death  with  such  calmness 
and  tranquillity,  that  the  executioners  repeatedly  declared, 
that  '  there  ica.s  some  charm  in  the  religion  of  the  whites,  that 
took  away  the  dread  of  death.'"  —  Miss.  Her.,  1839,  p.  139. 


THE   NINE   FAITHFUL   WITNESSES.  91 

A  MODERM"  DANIEL. 

The  following'  narrative  illustrates  the  fact  that  in  mod- 
ern times,  no  less  than  in  apostolic  days,  true  religion  will 
stand  the  test  of  persecution  and  death.  Among-  the  native 
Christians  in  Madagascar  was  a  young  man  named  Kafa- 
ralahy,  who,  in  defiance  of  the  persecuting  edicts  of  the 
queen,  continued  to  pray,  like  Daniel,  and  to  attend  the 
meetings  of  the  little  band  of  disciples  ;  and,  a  bolder  of- 
fence still,  to  have  prayer-meetings  at  his  own  house.  At 
length  a  man,  hitherto  friendly,  who  owed  him  a  small  sum, 
and  was  unwilling  to  pay,  accused  Rafaralahy  to  the  queen, 
and  he  was  immediately  arrested  and  put  in  irons.  The 
first  thing  was,  to  extort  from  him,  if  possible,  the  names 
of  those  who  were  associated  with  him  in  the  unlawful  busi- 
ness of  Bible-reading,  praying,  &c.  But  Rafaralahy  was 
inflexible,  refusing  to  disclose  a  single  name,  saying,  "Here 
am  I ;  let  the  queen  do  what  slie  pleases  with  me  ;  I  have 
done  it,  but  I  will  not  accuse  my  friends."  After  being  in 
irons  several  days,  he  w^as  taken  to  the  place  of  execution, 
the  mode  of  death  being  by  spearing.  When  the  execu- 
tioners came  to  the  door  of  the  house  where  he  was  bound, 
'they  asked,  "Which  is  Rafaralahy?"  He  replied,  very 
calmly,  "I  am,  sir."  They  approaclied  him,  and  took  off 
the  irons,  and  told  him  to  go  along  with  them.  He  arose 
inunediatcl}'  and  went  with  them,  speaking  to  them  all  the 
way  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  how  happ}''  he  felt  at  the  thought 
of  shortly  seeing  him  who  had  loved  him  and  died  for  him. 
On  arriving  at  the  place  of  execution,  he  requested  them  to 
allow  him  a  few  moments  to  commit  his  soul  to  his  Saviour. 
This  being  granted,  he  offered  a  most  fervent  prayer  for  his 
country,  for  his  persecuted  brethren,  and  commended  his 
soul  to  his  Saviour.  He  then  rose  from  his  knees,  and  the 
executioners  were  preparing  to  throw  .him  down  on  the 
ground.  He  said  there  was  no  need  of  that,  as  he  was  now 
ready  to  die  ;  and  he  laid  himself  down,  and  was  immedi- 
ately put  to  death.  He  was  the  second  martja-  in  Mada- 
gascar.—  Narraiice  of  Persecutions  in  Madagascar,  p.  212. 

THE  NINE  FAITHFUL  "WITNESSES. 

During  the  dreadful  persecutions  in  Madagascar,  nine  per- 
sons were  arrested  on  suspicion  of  their  having  embraced 
the  Christian  religion.  They  were  taken  to  the  capital,  and 
three  days  successively  they  underwent  examination.     On 


92  THE   MARTYR   SPIRIT   OP   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

the  third  day  they  resolved  to  witness  the  good  confession, 
and  therefore  they  made  the  following  declaration,  through 
Andriamanana,  one  of  their  number,  whom  they  appointed 
as  spokesman.  He  said,  "  Since  you  ask  us  again  and  again, 
we  will  tell  you.  We  are  not  banditti,  nor  murderers  ;  we 
are  (impivavaca)  praying  people  ;  and  if  this  make  us  guilty 
in  the  kingdom  of  the  queen,  then,  ivhatever  the  queen  does,  we 
submit  to  suffer."  —  "Is  this  then,"  said  the  interrogator, 
"your  final  reply,  whether  for  life  or  death?"  They  an- 
swered, "//  is  our  fnal  7'eply,  whether  for  life  or  death." 
llaving  made  this  confession,  they  felt  inexpressible  peace 
and  joy.  They  had  prayed  ;  they  had  confessed  Christ ;  and 
now  that  concealment  was  at  an  end,  and  they  could  freely 
open  their  overburdened  hearts,  they  said  to  each  other, 
"  Now  we  are  in  the  situation  of  Christian  and  Faithful, 
when  they  were  led  to  the  city  of  Vanity  Fair."  And  so  it 
proved,  when  they  underwent  the  martyr's  death,  after  the 
example  of  Faithful. — Lon.  Miss.  Mag.,  1841,  p.  74. 

CHRISTIAN"  HEROISM. 

Among  the  many  instances  of  courage  and  firmness  in  the 
face  of  death,  related  by  the  missionaries,  is  the  following, 
which  occurred  at  the  Georgian  Islands.  A  young  man, 
who  had  renounced  idolatry,  and  become  a  consistent  and 
devoted  disciple  of  Christ,  was  much  ridiculed  and  perse- 
cuted by  his  former  friends.  Promises  and  threats  were  alter- 
nately employed  to  induce  him  to  return  to  his  former  reli- 
gion, but  both  were  unavailing.  Remaining  firm  in  his  deter- 
mination to  serve  the  Lord,  he  was  at  length  banished  from 
his  father's  house,  and  forced  to  leave  the  neighborhood. 
But  his  persecutions  did  not  end  here.  A  heathen  ceremony 
was  about  to  be  observed,  for  which  a  human  victim  was 
required,  and  this  young  disciple  was  selected,  because  he 
prolessed  to  be  a  worshipper  of  the  true  God.  On  the  even- 
ing preceding  tlie  ceremony  the  young  man  had  retired,  as 
usual,  to  a  secluded  spot  near  his  dwelling,  for  the  piirpose 
of  devotion.  AVhile  thus  engaged,  a  number  of  servants  of 
the  chief  aiid  priests  approached  him,  and  told  him  that  the 
king  wished  to  see  him,  and  that  they  had  been  sent  to 
invite  his  return.  He  was  aware  of  the  approaching  cere- 
mony, and  knew  that  a  human  sacrifice  was  to  be  offered, 
and  it  instantly  occurred  to  him  that  he  was  to  be  the  vic- 
tim. He  therefore  replied  that  he  did  not  believe  that  the 
kiug  wished  to  see  him,  and  that  it  was  unnecessary  for  him 


''  NOT  ACCEPTING  DELIVEKAXCE."  93 

to  go.  They  then  said  the  priest  or  some  of  his  friends 
wished  to  see  him  ;  to  which  he  answered,  "  Why  do  you 
seek  to  deceive  me  ?  I  know  that  a  ceremony  approaches, 
and  that  a  human  victim  is  to  be  offered.  Something  within 
me  tells  me  that  I  am  to  he  the  victim!  and  your  appearance 
and  message  confirm  my  conviction.  Jesus  Christ  is  my 
keeper  ;  without  his  permission  you  cannot  hurt  me.  You 
may  be  permitted  to  kill  my  body,  but  I  am  not  afraid  to 
die.  My  soul  you  cannot  hurt ;  that  is  safe  in  the  hands  of 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  it  will  be  kept  beyond  your  power." 
Irritated  by  this  reply,  the  men  rushed  upon  him,  murdered 
him,  and  bore  his  body  to  the  temple,  where  it  was  oflered 
to  their  god,  —  South  Sea  Missions,  p.  149. 

"IT  IS  ALL  ^WELL." 

In  the  early  labors  of  the  Moravian  missionaries  among 
the  North  American  Indians  (1755),  the  hostile  Indians  made 
an  attack  upon  one  of  their  stations  at  Gnadenhuetten,  in 
the  state  of  New  York,  killing  several  of  the  missionaries  by 
firing  into  their  dwelling,  and  destroying  others  by  setting 
fire  to  the  house.  One  of  the  missionaries  —  Sensenian  — 
who  fled  out  of  a  back  door,  had  the  inexpressible  pain  of 
beholding  his  wife  perish  in  the  burning  building.  When 
surrounded  by  the  flames,  she  was  seen  standing  with  folded 
hands,  and  in  the  spirit  of  a  martyr  was  heard  to  exclaim, 

"  'T  IS    ALL    WELL,    DEAR    SaVIOUR  !  " 

"NOT  ACCEPTING  DELIVERANCE." 

A  Christian  in  Trebizond,  who  would  not  deny  his  Saviour, 
was  beaten  until  he  was  speechless  ;  and  afterwards  his  pei'- 
secutors  asked  him,  "Do  you  believe  in  our  customs  and 
church  ?  "  To  which  he  answered,  "  I  am  not  afraid  of  those 
tliat  kill  the  body  ;  but  I  fear  Him  who  is  able  to  destroy 
both  soul  and  body  in  hell ;  and  I  cannot  believe  in  your 
church,  and  worship  images." 

Another  Christian,  in  Erzeroom,  about  the  same  period, 
was  persecuted  and  beaten  with  dreadful  severity.  Many 
men  rushed  upon  him  at  once,  and  inflicted  blows  upon  vari- 
ous parts  of  his  body,  some  with  the  soles  of  their  boots, 
some  with  shoes  that  had  nails  in  them,  and  some  with  sticks. 
After  this  they  seized  him,  and  carried  him  before  the 
pasha  ;  but  the  steadfast  and  suffering  disciple  took  a  copy 
of  the  Gospel  under  his  arm,  and  when  the  pasha  was  sit- 
ting in  judgment  on  him  he  said,  "  I  will  not  adhere  to  the 


94  THE   MARTYR  SPIRIT   OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

traditions  of  the  elders,  but  I  will  cleave  to  the  cliurcli  of 
the  apostles.  This  is  their  book.  In  this  I  have  found  the 
commandment.  I  will  not  deny  this."  Thus  these  breth- 
ren endured,  in  the  true  spirit  of  the  apostles  and  martyrs, 
not  denying  Christ,  nor  even  following  him  afar  off",  to  save 
their  own  lives. — Miss.  Her.,  1848,  p.  217. 

THE  ONLY  SON  OF  THE  QUEEN. 

The  Queen  of  Madagascar,  the  most  unrelenting  and 
bloody  persecutor  of  Christians  of  which  modern  missions 
furnish  any  record,  had  an  only  son,  her  successor  to  the 
throne  ;  and,  just  as  he  attained  to  manhood,  he  embraced 
Christianity  himself,  and  became  "  a  faithful  brother  in  the 
Lord."  In  defiance  of  the  laws  which  pronounced  slavery 
and  death  upon  every  Christian,  the  son  of  the  queen  met 
with  converts  in  their  places  of  retreat,  and  he  employed 
every  means  in  his  power  to  rescue  them  from  impending 
danger.  More  than  once  he  was  reported  to  the  queen,  by 
her  chief  officer,  as  a  Cliristian  ;  but  the  love  of  a  mother 
prevailed  over  the  spirit  of  the  pagan  persecutor,  and  the 
life  of  the  young  prince  was  spared.  On  one  occasion  the 
prime  minister,  when  addressing  the  queen,  said,  "Madam, 
your  son  is  a  Christian  ;  he  prays  with  the  Christians,  and 
encourages  them  in  this  new  doctrine.  We  are  lost,  if  your 
majesty  do  not  stop  the  prince  in  this  strange  way."  —  "  But 
he  is  my  son,"  replied  the  queen,  "  my  only,  my  beloved 
son  !  Let  him  do  what  he  pleases  !  If  he  wish  to  become 
a  Christian,  let  him  !  He  is  my  beloved  son  !  "  Thus  the 
characteristic  attachment  of  this  people  to  their  offspring 
was  made,  under  God,  the  means  of  preserving  the  life  of 
this  promising  young  man. — 3Iiss.  Her.,  1848,  p.  245. 

DONE  "WITH  THE  DEVIL. 

An  African  woman,  who  had  been  converted  to  Christian- 
ity, and  who  took  great  delight  in  hearing  the  Gospel,  Avas 
much  persecuted  by  her  heathen  friends  and  neighbors,  who 
threatened  to  kill  her  unless  she  would  worship  the  image 
of  the  devil  as  formerly.  They  even  forced  her  to  lie  down 
before  the  idol.  But  they  could  not  bow  or  corrupt  her  freed 
spirit ;  for,  when  on  her  knees  before  the  hideous  image, 
she  cried  aloud,  in  the  presence  of  them  all,  "  0,  devil  1 
I  have  done  with  you  forever !  I  worship  the  true  God 
alone."  — Jo»r.  of  Miss.,  Oct.,  1852. 


INDIANS   BECOMING    MARTYRS.  95 

"I  MUST  PKAY." 

The  following  instance  of  a  determination  to  obey  tlie 
impulses  of  a  praying  spirit  reminds  one  of  the  example  of 
Daniel,  and  is  scarcely  less  remarkable,  as  an  example  of 
Christian  firmness.  While  the  bloody  Queen  of  Madagascar 
was  enforcing  her  terrible  edicts  against  the  Christians,  and 
putting  them  to  death  in  large  numbers,  her  prime  minister 
employed  a  nephew  of  his  to  act  as  spy,  and  inform  him  of 
such  Christians  in  the  capital  as  met  together  for  religious 
worship.  But,  in  God's  mercy  to  the  Christians,  this  nephew 
himself  had  been  converted,  and  was  of  the  number  who 
secretl}'  met  for  i^rayer  and  praise,  contrary  to  law,  though 
the  prime  minister  knew  nothing  of  the  fact.  So,  without  a 
word  of  objection,  the  nephew  went  on  his  mission  as  spy, 
told  them  what  orders  he  had  received,  and  begged  them  to 
bi'cak  up  and  go  home,  so  that  his  uncle  might  not  discover 
and  arrest  them.  He  then  returned  to  his  uncle,  who  in- 
quired, "  And  where  is  the  list?"  He  answered  that  he 
had  none.  "  Why  have  you  disobeyed  my  orders  ?  "  asked 
the  prime  minister,  and  added,  "Young  man,  your  head 
must  fall,  for  you  show  that  you,  also,  are  a  Christian."  — 
"Yes,"  he  replied,  "/  am  a  Christian;  and,  if  you  will, 
you  may  put  me  to  death. ;  for  1 7nust  pray!^'  At  these 
words  the  heart  of  the  queen's  minister  relented,  and  the 
young  man  was  spared.  Thus  the  God  of  Daniel  preserved 
tliis  fearless  and  faithful  servant,  when  a  spirit  of  cowardice 
and  time-serving  would  probably  have  been  rewarded  with 
instant  death.  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1848,  p.  345. 

INDIANS  BECOMING  MARTYRS. 

In  1Y82,  a  scene  occurred  among  the  Christian  Indians  in 
New  York,  which,  though  buried  in  obscure  annals,  should 
be  brought  to  light,  as  a  testimony  to  the  grace  of  God, 
which  displays  its  power  alike  in  all  countries,  and  in  all 
conditions.  The  Moravian  missionaries,  after  immense 
labors  and  sacrifices,  had  gathered  considerable  congrega- 
tions at  two  places  in  the  State  of  New  York,  called  Gna- 
denhuetten  and  Salem.  The  Governor  of  New  York  had 
afforded  to  these  Indians  his  protection  ;  but  a  band"  of 
white  citizens  conspired  against  them,  and  resolved  on  their 
destruction.  Their  first  move  was,  to  gain  the  confidence 
of  the  Indians  by  various  professions  of  friendship.  They 
then  persuaded  them  to  give  up  all  their  arms,  and  every 
weapon  of  defence,  and  even  to  show  them  all  the  places, 


96  THE    MARTYR  SPIRIT   OP   NATIVE    CHRISTIANS. 

in  jSelds  and  woods,  where  they  had  buried  treasures  or  pro- 
visions. Having  proceeded  so  far,  and  being  in  sufficient 
force  for  their  object,  they  suddenly  threw  off"  the  mask, 
and  seized  and  bound  their  victims,  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, without  resistance.  A  council  was  then  held,  and  it 
was  decided  by  a  majority  of  votes  to  put  them  all  to 
death.  Accordingly,  one  of  the  conspirators  was  sent  to 
say  to  the  Indians,  that,  as  they  were  Christian  Indians, 
they  migiit  prepare  themselves  for  death  in  a  Christian  man- 
ner, for  they  must  all  die  the  next  day.  They  were  filled 
witli  horror  on  hearing  this  ;  but  soon  recollected  them- 
selves, and  became  patient  and  resigned.  Their  last  night 
on  earth  they  spent  in  praj^er,  and  in  exhorting  each  other 
to  remain  faithful  unto  death  ;  and,  as  the  morning  ap- 
proached, thej^  employed  themselves  in  singing  the  j^i'^ises 
of  God  (heir  Saviour  ! 

When  the  day  of  execution  arrived,  the  murderers  fixed 
on  two  houses,  one  for  the  men,  and  the  other  for  the  women 
and  children,  to  which  they  wantonly  gave  the  name  of 
slaughter-houses.  The  poor,  innocent  creatures  were  now 
bound  with  ropes,  two  and  two  together,  and  led  into  the 
houses  appointed  for  their  destruction,  and  there  they  were 
scalped  and  murdered,  men,  women,  and  children,  in  the 
most  inhuman  manner.  Thus  no  fewer  than  ninety-six  per- 
sons perished,  among  whom  were  thirty-four  children  ! 
According  to  the  testimony  of  the  murderers  themselves, 
these  Christian  Indians  met  death  with  wonderful  patience 
and  resignation  !  They  even  declared  that  these  must  have 
been  good  Indians,  "  for  they  sung  and  prayed  to  their 

LATEST  BREATH  !  " 

There  was  in  this  final  triumph  no  show  of  human  philos- 
ophy, no  infidel  bravery,  no  thought  of  posthumous  fame  ;  for 
they  were  obscure  individuals,  suft'ering  an  obscure  death, 
without  a  thought  of  even  being  known  in  history.  It  was 
simply  the  power  of  the  Gospel  —  the  religion  by  which 
apostles  and  martyrs  have  triumphed.  We  liave  read  of 
the  twenty-three  Girondists,  wlio  sang  the  Marseilles  Hymn 
on  their  way  to  the  guillotine,  and  continued  to  sing  on  the 
scaflbld,  their  voices  growing  fewer  and  fliinter,  till  the  last 
head  dropped.  But  in  all  this  there  was  nothing  so  truly 
sublime  as  in  the  last  hours  of  the  Christian  Indians,  "who 
sung  and  prayed  to  their  latest  breath  !  "  —  Bro%vn''s  Hist. 
of  Hiss.,  vol.  I.,  p.  320. 


CONVERTS   MULTIPLIED    UNDER   PERSECUTION.  97 

CONVERTS   MULTIPLIED  UNDER  PERSECUTION. 

A  remarkable  illustration  of  the  vitality  of  the  religion  of 
the  Gospel,  and  its  capacity  to  live  and  increase  amid  the 
hottest  fires  of  persecution,  is  found  in  the  history  of  the 
Madagascar  mission,  as  reported  in  the  London  3Ii!<sionanj 
Magazine.  It  is  well  known  that  from  the  time  of  the  expul- 
sion of  the  missionaries  from  that  island  by  its  bloody  queen, 
to  1851,  —  a  period  of  seventeen  years,  —  a  most  rigorous 
and  relentless  system  of  vigilance  and  punishment  was 
enforced  against  the  native  converts.  It  was  empliatically 
one  long  reign  of  terror.  Many  hundreds  were  degraded 
and  impoverished  ;  hundreds  more  wei-e  doomed  to  perpet- 
ual slaver}' ;  and  from  forty  to  fifty  suffered  death  in  forms 
of  most  aggravated  horror.  Some  died  by  the  sword  or 
spear,  others  were  precipitated  from  rocks,  to  be  dashed  to 
pieces  at  once,  or  to  await  death  amid  lingering  agonies, 
while  several  were  burnt  alive  in  the  capital  of  Mada- 
gascar. During  all  this  season  of  terror  the  firmness  of 
the  Christians  astonished  both  their  friends  and  enemies. 
Rarely  was  one  known  to  deny  the  faith  to  save  liberty 
or  life.  They  met  for  prayer  and  Bible-reading,  in  spite 
of  royal  edicts  ;  and,  with  servitude  and  death  staring  them 
in  the  face,  their  numbers  multiplied,  so  that  tens  were 
increased  to  hundreds,  and  hundreds  to  thousands.  Not 
less  than  five  thousand  were  found,  in  1851,  to  be  living  in 
the  strict  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  the  study  of  the  IIolj' 
Scriptures,  and  in  united  conference  and  prayer,  in  the 
mountains  and  caves  of  the  island.  At  this  period  deliver- 
ance came  through  the  son  of  the  queen,  a  decided  convert 
to  Christianity,  and  heir  to  the  throne. 

The  firmness  and  steady  increase  of  the  converts,  during 
all  this  season  of  horror,  is  the  more  remarkable,  from  the 
fact  that  they  were  wholly  deprived  of  the  counsel  and 
sympathy  of  teachers  and  missionaries.  The  missionaries 
had  been  banished  from  the  island,  and  only  the  tcord  and 
Spirit  of  God  remained  to  guide  and  sustain  the  sufferers. 
In  this  respect  their  case  is  wholly  unlike  that  of  the  Wal- 
denses  in  the  valley  of  Piedmont,  and  exceeds  it  in  interest, 
as  it  furnishes,  on  a  large  scale,  an  instance  of  what  the 
Christian  religion  can  accomplish  in  the  soul  of  man,  with- 
out extraneous  aid.  The  Waldensian  Christians,  and  the 
Covenanters  of  Scotland,  had  with  them,  in  their  seasons  of 
trial  and  sufiering,  the  prayers  and  counsels  of  their  beloved 
pastors  and  guides  ;  but  the  Christians  of  Madagascar  had 
9 


98  THE   MARTYR   SPIRIT    OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

neither  —  nolhing  but  the  word  of  God  and  prayer!  And 
yet  no  Christians  ever  stood  more  firmly,  or  triumphed  more 
completely  over  the  wealvuess  of  the  flesh,  the  wiles  of  the 
devil,  and  the  sword  and  stake  of  the  persecutor.  The 
infidel  and  scofler  may  answer  this  argument  as  best  they 
can, 

THE   KAREN   PASTOR,    THAGHE. 

Thaghe  was  a  native  Karen  convert,  and  a  faithful  preacher 
and  pastor,  in  connection  with  the  American  Baptist  mis- 
sion in  Burmah.  At  the  close  of  the  war  between  the  Eng- 
lish and  the  Burmese,  in  1852,  in  which  the  English  were 
conquerors,  the  Burmese  officers  issued  orders  that  every 
town  and  village  in  the  province  should  be  destroyed,  the 
inhabitants  driven  away,  and  the  country  left  a  desert. 
How  many  of  them,  in  this  time  of  tribulation,  suffered 
cruel  deaths,  there  are  no  means  of  ascertaining ;  but  one 
instance,  that  of  Thaghe,  is  on  record,  and  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  It  appears  that  two  men,  apparently  inferior  Burmese 
officers,  deliberately  plotted  the  death  of  the  Karen  pastor. 
In  the  first  instance,  they  seized  his  two  sons  and  a  nephew, 
which,  as  anticipated,  brought  him  into  their  presence,  to 
seek  the  release  of  his  children.  They  bound  him,  and  led 
the  whole  away  to  the  governor  of  the  town  to  which  his 
village  belonged  ;  but,  on  the  way,  they  beat  him  with  thirty 
stripes,  and  the  young  men  with  twenty-five  each.  When 
they  reached  the  presence  of  the  governor,  Thaghe's  perse- 
cutor said  to  him,  privately,  '  If  you  kill  him  now,  you  will 
not  get  much  money.  Let  him  go  for  a  little  while.'  So 
be  was  dismissed  on  the  payment  of  thirty  rupees. 

"  Subsequently,  Thaghe's  old  enemy  reported  that  all  the 
Christians  were  about  to  rise  in  rebellion,  and  the  governor 
ordered  their  immediate  apprehension.  Forty,  with  their 
pastor,  were  takei\  and  put  in  chains.  The  next  day  a  few 
of  the  chiefs  among  them  were  set  at  liberty,  and,  the  day 
following,  Thaghe  was  brought  out,  and,  after  beating  and 
torturing  him  in  various  ways,  they  told  him  that  on  tlie 
payment  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  rupees  he  should  be 
set  at  liberty.  He  answered  that  he  had  no  money.  They 
said,  '  Your  Christians  give  you  one  hundred  rupees  a  year, 
and  you  must  give  it  up.'  He  replied  that  he  never  received 
so  much,     llis  persecutors  then  turned  to  the  cliicfs  and 


THE   KAREN  PASTOR,   THAGHE.  99 

said,  '  If  you  compassionate  your  teacher,  pay  the  one  hun- 
dred rupees  for  him.'  This  they  readily  promised  to  do  ; 
but,  as  soon  as  the  money  was  procured,  all  the  prisoners 
were  removed  to  another  town,  and  delivered  over  to  a 
superior  officer,  called  a  judge.  When  Thaghe  was  brought 
in,  the  judge  reviled  him,  saying,  '  If  thy  God  be  possessed 
of  divine  power,  let  him  deliver  thee  from  thy  chain.' 
Thaghe  replied,  '  Should  the  eternal  God  not  save  me  in  this 
world,  he  will  in  the  next.'  The  judge  asked,  '  IIow  dost 
thou  know?  '  He  answered,  '  The  Holy  Scriptures  say  so  ; 
and  I  know  of  a  truth  that  he  will  save  me.'  The  judge 
continued,  '  Through  thy  skill  the  white  foreigners  have 
made  war  on  our  country  ; '  and  he  then  struck  him  five 
times  with  the  point  of  his  ebow,  after  which  he  increased 
his  irons  fourfold.  Three  or  four  days  more  were  allowed 
to  elapse,  when  he  was  brought  again  into  the  presence  of 
the  judge,  who  said  to  him,  '  Read  now  before  me  from  the 
book  of  the  eternal  God,  who,  thou  sayest,  will  save  thee.' 
Thaghe  replied,  '  Were  I  to  read,  thou  wouldst  not  listen, 
but  do  me  evil  continually.'  The  judge  remarked,  '  Let  the 
eternal  God,  and  thy  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  save  thee  out  of  my 
hands.'  He  then  took  a  stick,  as  thick  as  a  man's  wrist,  and 
struck  him  thirty  blows. 

"  After  a  confinement  of  two  days  more,  his  original  per- 
secutor appeared,  and  Thaghe  asked  him  what  he  intended 
to  do  with  him  and  the  other  Christians.  '  I  will  kill  you 
all,'  was  the  savage  reply,  and,  at  the  same  time,  he  kicked 
him  with  his  heel,  as  a  horse  kicks.  The  man  then  went  to 
the  governor  and  said,  '  My  lord,  if  you  will  kill  all  these 
people,  I  will  give  you  a  hundred  rupees.'  The  governor 
took  the  mone}'-  and  said,  '  I  cannot  endure  the  future  pun- 
ishment entailed  on  killing  so  many  persons.'  After  three 
days  the  persecutor  brought  fifty  rupees  more  to  the  gov- 
ernor, and  again  requested  him  to  kill  all  the  Christians. 
The  governor  replied,  '  If  thou  wilt  give  thy  daughter  in 
marriage  to  my  brother  here,  I  will  kill  them.'  The  condi- 
tion was  complied  with  ;  and  when  he  had  delivered  over 
his  daughter,  the  governor  said,  '  Now,  I  believe  in  this 
man  (the  persecutor).  If  any  children  of  the  white  book 
(a  common  epithet  for  Chi-istians)  come  up  from  below,  tell 
me,  and  I  will  kill  them.' 

"  During  this  time,  the  judge  brought  up  pastor  Thaghe 
and  beat  him  every  two  or  three  days,  while  he  said  to  the 
judge,  '  Do  not  torture  mo  thus.     If  thou  wilt  kill  me  for 


100         THE   MARTYR  SPIRIT   OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

worshipping  God,  do  it  quickly.'  At  this  juncture  the  per- 
secutor, who  was  absent,  sent  a  report  that  the  English  and 
the  children  of  the  white  book  were  approaching,  and  said, 
'  They  will  rescue  the  teacher  and  his  disciples.  Go,  tell 
the  governor  to  kill  the  teacher  quickly.'  His  messenger 
went  to  the  governor,  and  added,  '  If  thou  dost  not  kill  the 
teacher,  they  will  certainly  come  and  rescue  him.'  When 
the  governor  received  the  message,  he  went  to  the  judge, 
who  had  Thaghe  brought  out  immediately  from  confinement, 
beaten  with  sixty  blows,  and  then  crucified  ;  reviling  him 
while  on  the  cross,  and  saying,  '  Let  thy  God  come  and 
take  care  of  thee.'  He  finally  disembowelled  him  on  the 
cross,  shot  him  with  two  musket  balls,  had  him  cut  in  three 
pieces,  and  thrown  into  a  hole  that  was  dug  for  him.  When 
the  original  instigator  of  the  deed  heard  of  it,  he  said  to  the 
people  around,  '  Say  not  that  he  was  killed,  but  that  he  fell 
into  the  water  and  was  drowned.' 

"  Peace  to  thy  dust,  poor  Thaghe  !  No  dear  friend  wiped 
the  drops  of  agony  from  thy  dying  brow.  They  all  lay 
bound  in  the  felon's  prison,  because  they  were  thine,  and 
thou  wast  Christ's.  No  Christian  brother  stood  by  to  receive 
thy  last  wishes,  and  record  thy  last  testimony  for  the  Master 
for  whom  thou  wast  faithful  unto  death.  A  heathen  Bur- 
man,  an  unconcerned  spectator  of  thy  sufferings,  was  the 
sole  biographer  of  thy  last  days.  No  eulogy  has  been  pro- 
nounced on  thy  ennobling  example.  As  Stephen  was  the 
first  martyr  in  Judea,  so  wast  thou  the  first  martyr  in  Bur- 
mah.  Like  Stephen,  thou  didst  see  '  the  glory  of  God,  and 
Jesus  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  God.'  Unnoted  as  thou 
hast  been,  yet  shall  thy  name  be  inscribed  on  the  banner  of 
missions,  when  '  the  Lord  mustereth  the  host  unto  battle  ; ' 
and,  when  the  scoffer  asks  for  the  fruit  of  missions,  wo  will 
point  him  to  thy  cross,  and  pronounce  thy  name,  'J'haghe  — 
'  good  fruit.'  "—Am.  Bap.  Hiss.  Mag.,  1856,  p.  388. 

ASAAD    SHIDIAK. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  (see  Eeport  of  American  Board 
for  1827)  was  a  Marouite  Roman  Catholic;  and  was,  in 
1825,  the  teacher  of  Dr.  King,  in  the  Syriac  and  Arabic 
languages.  He  was  shrewd,  sensible,  inquisitive,  and  capa- 
ble of  appreciating  the  force  of  an  argument.  When  Dr. 
King  left  Beyroot,  there  were  no  indications  of  Asaad's  con- 
version ;  but,  soon  after,  this  distinguished  Maronite  scholar 
and  teacher  undertook  to  answer  Dr.  King's  farewell  letter 


AS  A  AD    SHIDIAK.  101 

to  his  friends  in  Syria ;  the  object  of  which  was  to  assign 
reasons  why  he  (Dr.  King)  could  not  join  the  Romish  church. 
Having  made  a  rough  draft  of  a  reply,  and  copied  it  to  the 
last  topic  of  argument,  he  was  suddenly  turned  to  the  proph- 
ecy of  Isaiah,  by  consulting  a  proof  passage.  While 
reading  this  sublime  portion  of  Scripture,  he  became  deeply 
serious,  and  was  filled  with  an  ardent  desire  to  read  the 
New  Testament,  and  to  be  actuated  by  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel.  lie  endeavored  to  lay  aside  every  selfish  bias,  and 
to  learn  the  true  meaning  of  the  Bible,  While  in  this  state 
of  mind,  he  was  shocked  by  finding  it  taught,  and  defended, 
in  the  Romish  church,  that  it  is  a  duly  to  kill  heretics. 

It  was  not  long  before  Asaad  received  a  letter  from  the 
Maronite  patriarch,  threatening  him  with  immediate  excom- 
munication, unless  he  ceased  from  all  connection  with  the 
Bible  men.  This  being  without  effect,  the  patriarch  wrote 
him  a  second  letter,  urging  him  to  an  interview,  and  prom- 
ised to  provide  an  office  for  him.  Next,  he  sent  his  own 
brother  to  call  upon  Asaad  at  Beyroot,  and  urge  him  to  an 
interview.  The  missionaries  warned  him  of  the  dangers  to 
which  he  would  be  exposed  if  he  complied  with  this  request ; 
but  he  finally  went,  met  the  patriarch,  and  had  many  con- 
versations with  him.  Asaad  maintained  the  necessity  of  a 
spiritual  religion,  in  distinction  from  forms  ;  the  sufficiency 
of  Scripture,  and  the  absurdity  of  holding  the  pope  to  be 
infallible.  The  patriarch  was  highly  displeased  with  these 
bold  sentiments,  and  uttered  cruel  threats,  or  offered  pro- 
motion, money,  and  honor,  according  to  the  covirse  Asaad 
should  pursue.  The  bishop  of  Beyroot  being  pi-esent, 
threatened  Asuad's  life  in  the  most  angry  and  violent 
manner. 

These  interviews  occurred  at  the  convent  of  Der  Alma, 
from  which,  after  seven  weeks,  Asaad  returned  to  the  mis- 
sionaries at  Beyroot.  As  soon  as  the  mother,  brothers,  and 
other  relatives  of  this  reformer,  heai'd  of  his  return,  they 
flocked  to  him  in  rapid  succession,  to  persuade  him  to  leave 
the  missionaries,  and  thus  save  the  family  from  the  insup- 
portable shame  of  having  him  renounce  their  religion  and 
join  himself  to  foreigners.  In  about  a  fortnight,  twenty  or 
more  of  his  relations  assembled,  took  him  by  force,  escorted 
him  to  the  convent  of  Der  Alma,  and  delivered  him  up  to 
the  patriarch,  by  whose  order  he  was  subsequently  removed 
to  Caimobeen,  about  fifty  miles  from  Beyroot.  There,  from 
the  first  of  April,  1825,  to  March,  1826,  this  unfortunate 
9* 


102         THE   MARTYR   SPIRIT   OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

sufferer  endured  imprisonment,  chains,  stripes,  and  rcviling-s, 
in  succession,  and,  for  a  great  part  of  the  time,  all  of  them 
combined.  When  his  relatives  were  assembled  to  deliver 
him  up,  ho  told  them  plainly  that  if  he  had  not  read  the 
Gospel  he  never  should  have  known  how  to  explain  their 
conduct ;  but  he  there  learned  that  "  the  brother  shall 
deliver  up  the  brother  to  death,  and  a  man's  foes  shall  be 
they  of  his  own  household."  One  of  his  uncles  said,  in  a 
rage,  "  If  j^ou  don't  go  peaceably,  we  will  take  your  life  ;  " 
to  which  Asaad  replied,  "  Softly,  softly,  my  dear  uncle  ; 
blessed  are  the  meek." 

About  the  middle  of  May  he  was  in  close  confinement,  in 
chains,  and  was  daily  beaten.  In  June,  having  made  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  escape,  he  had  a  heavy  chain  put 
around  his  neck,  the  other  end  of  which  was  fastened  to  the 
wall.  The  patriarch  encouraged  the  common  people  to 
visit  him  in  his  confinement,  and  to  spit  in  his  face,  and  call 
him  odious  names,  in  order  to  shame  him  and  break  his 
spirit.  Towards  the  close  of  July  his  mother  and  other 
members  of  the  family  visited  him,  at  the  request  of  the 
patriarch.  They  found  him  in  chains,  which  they  would  not 
believe  till  they  saw  it  themselves.  They  sought  his  release, 
but  in  vain.     This  took  place  in  September,  1826. 

About  two  months  afterwards,  Galeb,  one  of  Asaad's 
brothers,  visited  Cannobeen,  assisted  Asaad  to  escape,  and 
brought  him  homeward,  as  far  as  Kerosan,  where  the  fugi- 
tive was  apprehended,  and  carried  bound  to  Gzir,  where  he 
was  detained  by  the  Prince  Abdalla,  and  afterwards  restored 
to  the  patriarch  at  Cannobeen.  The  cruelties  of  his  prison- 
house  now  became  constant  and  appalling.  One  of  the 
visitors  declared  that  he  had  been  beaten  daily,  till  his  body 
was  of  the  color  of  blue  cloth.  Another  said  that  he  received 
a  blow  of  a  cane  on  his  right  hand,  by  which  it  was  nearly 
broken,  and  a  blow  on  his  leg,  which  lamed  him  nearly  a 
month.  In  the  midst  of  his  suflerings  he  wrote  a  kind 
letter  to  the  missionaries,  in  which  he  requested  them  to 
comfort  Mrs.  Dalton,  the  widow  of  Dr.  Dalton,  who  died  at 
Jerusalem.  This  letter  was  discovered  by  the  patriarch, 
who  exclaimed,  "  Who  is  this  satan  of  a  Dalton  ?  Beat  the 
fool  on  the  score  of  Dalton,"  at  the  same  time  giving  him  a 
blow  himself,  and  others  following  his  example. 

During  all  these  months  and  years  of  weary  suffering,  the 
missionaries  did  all  in  their  power  to  effect  Asaad's  escape, 
but  without  success.     At  length  it  became  impossible  to 


ASAAD   BHIDIAK.  103 

reach  him  with  comforting'  messages,  or  to  get  a  word  from 
him.  It  was  a  condition  of  solitary  and  unmitigated  sufler- 
ing.  Asaad  was  a  dangerous  man  for  Ilomish  priests  ; 
capable  of  writing  powerfully,  and  exposing  a  corrupt  sys- 
tem, and  he  must  be  made  a  victim  of  inquisitorial  tortures, 
and  final  murder.  The  precise  period  of  his  death  is  not 
known  ;  but  that  he  sufiered  martyi'dom  in  prison,  under 
circumstances  most  appalling,  is  a  well-ascertained  fact. 

It  was  acknowledged  on  all  hands  that  Asaad  would  not 
utter  a  falsehood.  This  trait  in  his  character  was  a  prod- 
igy. According  to  all  that  had  been  known  of  human 
nature,  in  these  parts  of  the  world,  a  man  in  pi-ison,  and  in 
imminent  danger  of  death,  would  assent  to  anything,  and 
promise  anything,  for  the  sake  of  escaping  from  his  perilous 
situation ;  and  never  Avas  temptation  stronger  to  deceive 
and  conceal,  for  the  sake  of  personal  relief.  In  the  first 
place,  all  his  pride  of  talents,  his  consistency  as  a  disputant, 
his  power  and  influence  as  an  author,  were  opposed  to  any 
change  in  his  opinions.  Then,  all  his  reverence  for  his 
ecclesiastical  superiors,  his  former  tutors,  associates,  friends, 
and  patrons,  some  of  whom  were  naturally  mild  in  their 
tempers,  and  sincerely  attached  to  him,  and  all  his  previous 
habits  of  thinking  and  acting,  Avithstood  his  yielding  to  the 
convictions  of  conscience,  and  the  authority  of  Scripture. 
Next  in  order  came  the  anathemas  of  the  church  ;  the  tears 
of  a  mother,  half  distracted  at  the  ruin  and  infamy  of  having 
an  apostate  son  ;  the  impassioned  entreaties,  the  furious 
menaces  of  brothers,  uncles,  and  townsmen,  and  the  general 
odium  of  an  extensive  acquaintance.  All  these  things  were 
preparatory  to  his  being  seized  by  indignant  relatives, 
forcibly  conveyed  from  one  convent  to  another,  chained  to 
the  walls  of  a  religious  edifice,  deprived  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  all  other  books  ;  of  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  and  all 
other  means  of  intercourse  ;  and  there,  in  this  forlorn  and 
abject  situation,  purposely  exposed  to  the  coarse  insults  of 
a  misled  and  vicious  populace. 

That  his  physical  system  should  have  held  out  so  long, 
under  such  suflerings,  seems  surprising;  and,  more  won- 
derful still,  that  his  faith  and  constancy  should  have  endured 
this  terrible  ordeal.  For,  while  all  was  abject  and  hopeless 
misery  on  the  one  hand,  on  the  other  all  was  honor,  promo- 
tion, emoluments,  in  case  of  recantation.  He  did  not  recant. 
He  had  chosen  Christ,  and  would  not  disown  or  dishonor 
him,  even  to  escape  a  doom  like  his.     Calm  and  unruffled 


104         THE   MAETYR   SPIRIT    OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS. 

he  stood  amidst  this  storm  of  angry  passion  that  surged 
against  him,  looking  through  tears  of  anguish  with  a  firm 
hope,  and  anticipating  heaven  as  his  rest  and  reward. 
Triumphant  and  happy  Asaad  Shidiak! — may  thy  example 
stimulate  those  who  are  following,  in  the  way  thou  hast  gone, 
to  glory  and  immortality  ! 


EXAMPLES  OF  PIETY  AND  BENEVOLENCE. 


THE  CAFFBE  "WOMAN'S   TESTIMONY. 

A  poor  Cafire  woman,  who  was  converted  under  the 
labors  of  the  Moravian  missionaries,  and  who  served  faith- 
fully as  a  missionary  assistant  for  many  years,  was  at  length, 
about  the  year  1849,  confined  to  her  bed  by  painful  sickness. 
When  the  missionary,  Mr.  Suhl,  called  one  day  to  see  her ; 
she  expressed  great  joy,  and  said  she  felt  it  her  duty  to  give 
something'  for  the  cause  of  her  Redeemer.  She  raised  her- 
self with  great  exertion,  and  taking  out  of  her  box  a  piece 
of  paper,  in  which  some  money  was  carefully  done  up,  she 
gave  it  to  him,  saying:  "This  is  for  the  spread  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ."  On  opening  the  paper,  it  was  found 
to  contain  half  a  sovereign  and  a  shilling,  which  some  visit- 
ing friends  had  given  her  three  years  before.  The  mission- 
ary remonstrated,  and  said  that  in  her  suffering  and  needy 
circumstances  the  Saviour  would  not  require  this  at  her 
hands,  and  she  had  better  keep  it ;  but  she  replied,  "No, 
no,  I  give  it  willingly  ;  it  is  dedicated  to  the  Lord  ;  I  don't 
need  it.  When  my  mother  died,  she  left  me  this  box,  and 
now  the  Lord  has  given  me  all  this,  I  know  he  will  not  for- 
get nor  forsake  me  in  time  to  come.  And  how  unworthy  I 
am,  that  I  should  be  favored  to  hear  the  word  of  Jesus'  suf- 
ferings, while  my  countrymen  and  relatives  are  still  in  igno- 
rance and  darkness  !  0,  may  the  word  of  God  soon  be  made 
known  to  them!"  Mr.  Suhl  adds:  "I  could  scarcely  re- 
frain from  tears  myself,  and  accepted  her  offering  of  love, 
and  promised  to  send  it  to  Cape  Town  for  the  purpose  speci- 
fied." She,  of  her  penury,  cast  in  all  the  living  that  she 
had.  May  not  wealthier  Christians  be  reproved  and  in- 
structed, by  such  an  instance  of  self-denying,  yet  cheerful 
and  heavenly  charity?  —  Jour,  of  Miss.,  March,  1850. 


106  EXAMPLES    OF   PIETY   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

A    GREAT    FEAST -NOBLE    EXAMPLE. 

An  instance  of  noble  and  manly  firmness,  touching  the 
great  sins  of  idolatry,  jDolygamy,  and  slavery,  is  recorded 
by  Rev.  John  Williams,  in  his  "  Missionary  Enterprises  in 
the  South  Sea  Islands,"  p.  299.  The  Hapai  group,  belong- 
ing to  the  Friendly  Islands,  is  a  cluster  of  between  thirty 
and  forty  small  coralline  islands,  all  subject  to  the  authority 
of  one  principal  chief,  named  Taufaahau.  When  Mr.  Wil- 
liams first  saw  him,  about  the  year  1830,  he  was  at  the  age 
of  thirty,  and  of  most  noble  appearance  and  commanding 
aspect.  Having  heard  of  the  progress  and  effects  of  the 
Gospel  at  Tongatabu,  also  one  of  the  Friendly  Islands,  this 
chief  determined  to  visit  that  island,  and  form  his  own  judg- 
ment of  the  new  religion.  From  his  youth  he  was  a  remark- 
able character,  and  despised  the  whole  system  of  idol  loorship. 
But,  on  visiting  Tongatabu,  he  resolved  at  once  to  abandon 
the  gods  of  his  forefathers,  and  place  himself  under  Christian 
instruction.  He  returned  to  his  own  dominions,  and,  having 
destroyed  the  gods  of  his  own  island,  he  proceeded  through 
the  group,  exhorting  the  chiefs  to  follow  his  example.  He 
was  successful  in  all  but  four  or  five  islands,  which  made  a 
fierce  show  of  opposition,  but  they  were  overborne  by  the 
bold  and  determined  Taufliahau.  Having  abolished  idola- 
try, he  proceeded  to  treat  other  anti-Christian  enormities  in 
the  same  way.  A  great  marriage  ceremony  was  announced, 
preparations  on  a  vast  scale  were  made,  hundreds  of  hogs 
and  an  immense  number  of  turtle  being  provided  ;  and  the 
people  came  from  all  the  neighboring  islands.  The  occasion 
of  this  feast  was  remarkable.  Some  time  before,  Taufaahau 
had  a  beautiful  young  woman  presented  to  him.  They  had 
been  living  together  for  several  months,  although  no  mar- 
riage ceremony  had  been  performed  ;  for,  according  to  cus- 
tom, the  formal  celebration  of  marriage  did  not  take  place 
till  several  months  after  it  had  been  consummated.  In  the 
present  instance,  it  being  a  case  of  polygamy,  the  chief 
determined  to  send  this  woman  home  ;  but,  before  doing  it, 
he  would  confer  upon  her  all  the  honor  possible,  by  a 
splendid  marriage  ceremony.  Mr.  Williams  says,  "  We 
visited  the  young  woman  upon  whose  account  these  prepa 
rations  were  made.  She  appeared  about  nineteen  j'ears  of 
age,  of  fine  person,  handsome  features,  and  agreeable  man- 
ners." The  grand  ceremony  was  duly  performed  ;  after 
which  the  chief  not  only  sent  this  woman,  but  all  his  wives, 
to  their  homes  ;  thus  giving  the  whole  force  of  his  example 


UMGIKO'S   DECISION.  107 

ag-ainst  polygamy.  He  remained  single  for  a  considerable 
jtime,  and  when  the  desired  effect  had  been  produced,  he 
selected  one  of  his  former  wives,  to  whom  he  was  piiblichj 
married.  Mr,  Williams  concludes  his  narrative,  which  is 
here  somewhat  abridged,  as  follows  :  "  He  has  maintained 
a  most  decided  and  consistent  profession  of  Christianity  ever 
since  he  embraced  it,  and,  at  the  present  time,  is  one  of  the 
best  and  most  efficient  local  preachers  in  the  mission.  But  the 
last,  though  not  the  least,  display  of  the  noble-mindedness 
and  Christian  pi'inciple  of  this  remarkable  man,  was,  the 
circumstance  of  his  emancipating  all  his  slaves!  This  he  did 
in  consequence  of  having  heard  from  the  missionaries  that 
slavery  ivas  inconsistent  icith  Christianity.  I  have  been  the 
more  minute  in  these  observations  because  I  admire  the 
man,  or  rather  the  grace  of  God  in  him." 

UMGIKO'S    DECISION". 

Umgiko  was  a  South  African  convert,  who  had  previouslj'' 
been  turned  off  by  his  friends  to  die,  as  he  had  sores  on  his 
fingers  which  they  supposed  could  not  be  healed.  In  his 
despair  he  came  to  Mr.  Grout,  who  succeeded  in  restoring 
him  to  soundness,  and  afterwards  retained  him  in  his  family. 
One  day  Umgiko  said  to  Mr.  Grout,  as  he  entered  the  school- 
room, "  I  wish  to  repent  of  my  sins.  The  sermon  you 
pi'cached  on  repentance,  about  two  months  ago,  made  such 
an  impression  on  my  mind  that,  though  I  have  struggled 
hard  against  it,  I  found  no  peace  till  I  resolved,  decidedl}'", 
to  repent  of  all  my  sins  ;  and  I  have  now  come  to  tell  you 
of  my  resolution.  I  have  contracted  for  a  second  wife,  but 
I  shall  now  give  her  up,  though  I  have  paid  three  cattle  for 
her,  which  I  may  lose.  I  am  also  ashamed  to  go  unclad 
any  longer.  I  shall  come  to  you  to-morrow  with  a  small  ox 
to  purchase  clothes  —  not  blankets,  but  such  clothes  as  you 
wear.  I  have  long  feared  man  ;  but  now  all  the  customs 
of  my  people,  which  are  bad,  I  shall  abandon,  without  refer- 
ence to  what  people  may  say.  And,  that  I  may  no  longer 
be  without  clothes,  I  will  come  and  work  for  you  to  get 
them."  Umgiko  j^roivvZhis  sincerity  ;  for  he  soon  clothed 
himself,  his  wife,  and  his  child  :  stood  far  above  all  his  old 
associates,  learnt  to  read  with  great  diligence,  was  the 
largest  contributor  at  the  monthly  praj'ei'-meeting,  and, 
instead  of  going  with  a  rabble  of  men  and  women  on  the 
Sabbath,  as  the  custom  was,  he  went  steadily  along  with 


108  EXAMPLES   OF   PIETY   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

his  wife,  leading  or  carrying  their  little  girl,  all  clad  in  clean 
garments.  — Hiss.  Her.,  1848,  p.  373. 

THE    LITTLE    GIRL'S    OFFERING. 

It  is  the  custom  with  the  heathen,  in  Ceylon,  to  set  aside 
a  portion  of  their  grain  for  the  heathen  temple.  From  this, 
converted  natives  have  taken  the  hint,  and  adopted  a  similar 
practice,  for  a  better  object.  It  interested  the  missionaries 
much  to  see  how  children  imitated  this  form  of  Christian 
benevolence.  A  little  girl  in  one  of  the  mission-schools 
brought,  one  Sabbath  morning,  a  basket,  containing  foiir 
quarts  of  rice,  as  the  offering  of  herself  and  tlu-ee  other  girls 
in  the  school.  Their  parents  were  heathen,  and  very  poor, 
having  no  rice-fields  of  their  own  ;  but  these  girls  would  go 
out  with  their  mothers,  and  glean  in  the  fields  of  their  more 
wealthy  neighbors  ;  and  this  was  the  Lord's  portion  of  rice 
which  they  had  picked  up,  kernel  by  kernel.  Many  other 
little  children  did  the  same  thing,  giving,  out  of  their  deep 
poverty,  what  they  had  acquired  with  so  much  toil,  and 
while  they  themselves  often  went  hungry  for  want  of  food. 
—  3Iiss.  Her.,  1852,  p.  232. 

HE   HATH   DONE    WHAT   HE    COULD. 

An  old  man  in  Syria,  who  was  totally  blind,  and  extremely 
poor,  was  j^et  a  truly  devoted  disciple  of  Christ,  and  anxious 
to  be  doing  what  he  could  for  his  Redeemer.  With  the 
assistance  of  his  son,  he  kept  a  school  of  from  twenty  to 
thirty  children,  in  his  own  house,  and  daily  preached  the 
Gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  But  he  was  particularly  inter- 
ested in  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  iu  that  land  of 
moral  darkness  and  famine  ;  and,  blind  as  he  was,  he  pro- 
cured a  little  boy  to  lead  him,  loaded  his  donkey  with  Bibles 
and  tracts,  and  went  from  village  to  village  with  his  precious 
freight,  spreading  the  light  of  life  among  those  more  be- 
nighted than  he.  He  used  to  remark  that  he  was  "  old, 
and  must  work  fast,  in  order  to  redeem  the  time."  —  Hiss. 
Her.,  1841,  p.  205. 

ENERGY  AS  GOOD  AS  MONEY. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  the  records  of  church-building  fur- 
nish an  instance  of  success,  by  simph;  energy  and  persever- 
ance, witliout  money,  equal  to  that  related  by  a  missionary 
at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  A  meeting-house,  whose  cost,  if 
paid  for,  would  have  been  equal  to  six  thousand  dollars,  was 


WEAK   THINGS   TO    CONFOUND    THE   WISE.  109 

built  in  the  fullowing-  manner.  In  the  first  place,  every 
stone  had  to  be  carried  by  the  church-members,  on  their 
shoulders,  about  one  eighth  of  a  mile  to  the  building.  This 
was  gratuitous  labor.  The  lime  was  thus  obtained  ;  the 
coral  was  taken  from  the  sea,  by  diving  to  the  bottom  in 
from  ten  to  twenty  feet  water,  detaching  a  piece,  and 
ascending  to  take  breath,  then  descending  again  with  a 
rope,  which  was  made  fast  to  the  mass  and  drawn  up. 
When  the  canoe  was  full,  it  was  rowed  ashore,  and  the  coral 
piled  on  the  beach.  About  thirty-six  cubic  fathoms  having 
thus  been  procured,  it  was  next  to  be  burned.  For  this 
purpose  they  had  to  procure  more  than  forty  cords  of  wood, 
every  stick  of  which  was  carried  from  the  mountain,  from 
one  to  two  miles,  on  the  shoulders  of  church-members. 
After  the  wood  was  procured  and  tlie  lime  burned,  it  had  to 
be  taken  from  the  beach  up  to  the  building,  about  one  quar- 
ter of  a  mile.  This  was  done  by  the  women,  in  calabashes, 
each  one  filling  her  calabash  with  lime,  and  carrying  it  on 
her  shoulder  —  in  all,  about  seven  hundred  barrels  of  lime. 
In  like  manner  they  carried  full  as  much  sand,  and  about  an 
equal  quantity  of  water.  In  all,  about  two  thousand  bai-- 
rels  of  lime,  sand,  and  water,  carried  solely  on  the  backs 
of  women,  in  calabashes.  This  labor  was  all  gratuitous. 
Then  the  plates,  beams,  posts,  etc.,  wdiich  supported  the 
work  overhead,  were  still  to  be  obtained.  This  fell  on  the 
men  ;  and,  as  the  church-members  had  no  cattle,  they  divided 
themselves  oflFinto  companies,  and,  taking  ropes,  each  com- 
pany selected  their  stick,  and  dragged  it  from  six  to  ten 
miles,  over  ravines  and  beds  of  lava.  The  posts  and  beams 
required  from  forty  to  sixty  men,  and  thej'  could  make  but 
one  trip  a  day,  working  from  daylight  till  dark.  Thus  all 
the  materials  for  the  church  were  at  length  obtained.  The 
masons  and  carpenters  who  put  up  the  house  were  paid  by 
contributions  of  such  things  as  the  church  had, — hogs, 
fish,  potatoes,  goats,  tapas,  etc.  To  get  even  a  faint  idea 
of  what  this  eflbrt  cost,  it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  there 
were  not  forty  families  in  the  church  whose  whole  wardrobe 
and  household  furniture,  taken  together,  Avould  amount  to 
more  than  twenty  dollars. — lliss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  154. 

WEAK  THINGS   TO  CONFOUND  THE  WISE. 

A  few  years  ago  the  oflicers  of  an  English  ship,  which 
anchored  near  a  missionary  station  in  Ncav  Zealand,  invited 
several  of  the  neighboring  chiefs  to  dine  with  them.     They 
10 


110  EXAMPLES    OP   PIETY   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

were  soon  all  seated  at  the  table,  and  the  oflScers  began  to 
eat.  The  chiefs  sat  in  silence,  without  so  much  as  touc^hing 
the  food.  It  was  very  strange,  the  officers  thought ;  for  the 
New  Zealanders  are  fond  of  good  eating.  Were  their  guests 
displeased  with  them  ?  Were  they  afraid  of  being  poi- 
soned ?  Tliey  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it,  and  were 
growing  quite  anxious.  At  length  the  oldest  of  the  chiefs 
arose  in  a  reverent,  and  dignified  manner,  and  asked  God's 
blessing.  The  mystery  was  explained.  These  chiefs  had 
become  Christians,  and  they  had  learnt  that  it  was  a  Chris- 
tian duty  to  thank  God  and  ask  his  blessing  at  meals.  They 
thought,  perhaps,  that  they  were  dining  with  heathens,  be- 
fore whom  they  ought  to  set  a  good  example.  At  least, 
these  chiefs,  in  learning  Christianity,  had  not  learnt  to  make 
so  many  exceptions  to  its  rules  as  nominal  Christians  often  do. 

LOVE   OF  GOD'S  HOUSE. 

An  Indian  of  the  Mackinaw  tribe,  named  Shusco,  who 
had  been  exceeding  vile  and  fierce,  and  who  had  obtained 
great  influence  as  a  juggler,  at  length  received  the  Gospel, 
and  the  lion  became  a  lamb.  Instead  of  the  savage  yell 
and  drunken  song,  he  lisped  the  name  of  Jesus.  The  Sab- 
bath and  the  sanctuary  were  his  delight.  He  used  to  rise 
earlier  than  usual,  on  Saturday  morning,  that  he  might  have 
time  to  prepare  wood  and  all  else,  and  get  rested  for  the 
Sabbath.  Shusco's  seat  in  church  was  never  vacant,  ex- 
cept from  real  necessity.  Although  quite  aged  and  infirm, 
if  he  thought  himself  late,  he  would  go  almost  upon  a  run, 
so  great  was  his  anxiety  to  get  into  the  courts  of  his  God. 
The  missionary  said  to  hini,  one  day,  "  Shusco,  as  you  can- 
not understand  anything  said  in  church,  why  are  you  always 
so  anxious  to  attend  ?  "  —  "  Because,"  said  he,  "  it  is  God's 
house  —  my  Father's  house  —  and  I  love  to  sit  there  and 
pray,  and  sometimes  I  can  sing,  too."  —  3Iiss  Her.,  1839, 
p.  62. 

A  GOOD    DEACON. 

In  the  Missionary  Herald  for  Aug.,  185G,  Mr.  Perkins,  of 
the  Nestorian  mission,  gives  some  facts  relative  to  a  deacon 
named  Gewergis,  showing  the  power  of  grace  in  making  a 
good  man  out  of  bad  materials.  Gewergis  had  been  "a 
worldly,  hardened,  wicked  man,  and  even  a  thief  and  adul- 
terer." But  he  was  converted,  and  the  following  passage 
from  his  life,  given  by  Mr.  Perkins,  indicates  the  surpris- 
ing change  wrought  in  his  character.     "From  the  day  of 


LIBERALITY    OF    A    POOR    BLIND    GIRL.  Ill 

his  conversion,  he  resolved  to  take  Paul  as  his  model,  and 
spend  his  wliole  life  and  energy  in  proclaiming'  Clirist  to  his 
perisliing-  fcllow-men.  And  his  people  are  witnesses  how 
faitlifully  he  has  fulfdled  the  solemn  covenant  which  he  then 
made  with  God.  How  has  he  travelled  the  Koordish  moun- 
tains, stair  in  hand,  and  his  quarto  New  Testament  in  a 
leather  ba^  slung  over  his  shoulder,  journejung'  from  Ter- 
gawcr  to  Tekhoma,  and  throug-h  the  near  ranges  of  moun- 
tains, scores  of  times,  never  shrinking  from  heat  or  cold, 
from  rain  or  snow,  from  danger  at  the  hands  of  bloody 
Koords,  and  many  not  less  wicked  Nestorians,  who  hated 
and  persecuted  him  !  At  times  he  came  near  perishing  in 
terrible  storms  and  tempests  on  the  mountains.  Then  he 
would  kneel  down  and  i^ray  by  the  roadside,  and  the  clouds 
would  break  away,  and  the  storm  would  abate,  seemingly 
in  answer  to  his  prayers.  At  other  times  he  came  near 
being  drowned  in  swollen  and  rapid  rivers  ;  but  then,  too, 
the  Lord  delivered  him.  Well  might  we  apply  to  him  the 
language  of  Paul,  '  In  journeyings  often,  in  perils  of  waters, 
in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  by  mine  own  countrymen,  in 
perils  among  the  heathen,  in  perils  in  the  city,  in  perils  in 
the  wilderness,  in  perils  among  false  brethren,  in  weariness 
and  painfulness,  in  watchings  often,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in 
fastings  often,  in  cold  and  nakedness.'  " 

LIBERALITY  OF  A  POOR   BLIND    GIRL. 

The  Baptist  Missionary  Herald  has  the  following  affecting 
fact.  A  blind  girl  brought  to  a  clergyman  thirty  shillings 
for  the  missionaries  of  the  society.  The  clergyman,  sur- 
prised that  she  should  offer  him  so  large  a  sum,  said  to  her, 
"  You  are  a  poor  blind  girl ;  you  cannot  afford  to  give  thirty 
shillings  to  the  society."  —  "I  am,  indeed,  sir,"  said  she, 
"  as  you  may  see,  a  blind  girl,  but  not  so  poor,  perhaps,  as 
you  may  suppose  me  to  be,  and  I  think  I  can  prove  to  you 
that  I  can  better  aflbrd  to  give  these  thirty  shillings,  than 
those  girls  can  who  have  eyes."  The  clergyman  was,  of 
course,  very  much  struck  with  her  answer,  and  said,  "  I 
shall  be  glad  to  know  how  you  make  that  out."  —  "  Sir," 
she  answered,  "I  am  a  basket-maker,  and,  being  blind,  I 
can  make  baskets  as  well  in  the  dark  as  in  the  light.  Now 
I  am  sure,  sir,  in  the  last  dark  winter,  it  must  have  cost 
those  girls  that  have  eyes  more  than  thirty  shillings  to  buy 
candles  to  see  to  make  baskets  ;  and  so  I  think  I  have 
proved  that  I  can  afford  this  money,  and  now  I  hope  that 


112  EXAMPLES    OP   PIETY   AND   BENEVOLENCE. 

you  will  take  it  all  for  the  missionaries."  —  Eng.  Bap.  Miss. 
Her.,  Uarch,  1821. 

THE  CONVERTED   CHIEF  AND  HIS  "WIVES. 

The  facts  given  below  are  gathered  from  the  journal  of 
Eev.  Mr.  Livingston,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
stationed  for  many  years  among  the  Bakwain  tribe  in  West- 
ern Africa.  They  show  that  the  Gospel,  when  it  takes  pos- 
session of  even  so  dark  a  mind,  can  overpower  that  most 
cherished  of  all  heathen  sins,  polygamy,  and  under  circum- 
stances which,  if  any,  might  afford  an  apology  for  the  cus- 
tom. Sechele,  the  subject  of  the  narrative,  was  a  distin- 
guished chief  of  his  tribe,  and  a  celebrated  rain-doctor  ; 
and  he  was,  withal,  notorious  for  his  cruelty  and  reckless- 
ness of  human  life.  All  suspected  witches,  especially,  he 
put  to  death  without  mercy.  It  is  remarkable  that  such  a 
man,  as  soon  as  the  missionary  came  among  his  people, 
should  have  attended  school  and  all  the  religious  services 
"  with  unwearying  regularity."  Mr.  Livingston  says  :  — • 
"  The  first  indication  of  deep  feeling  Avhich  I  observed  in 
the  chief,  was  when,  sitting  together  under  our  wagon  du- 
ring the  heat  of  the  day,  I  endeavored  to  describe  to  him 
the  great  white  throne  and  the  judgment-seat.  He  said, 
'  These  words  shake  all  my  bones  —  my  strength  is  gone.' 
The  existence  of  our  Lord  previous  to  his  appearance 
among  men,  and  his  divine  nature,  were  facts  which  greatly 
surprised  him.  As  his  knowledge  increased,  he  professed 
among  his  own  people  a  firm  belief  in  the  truth  of  revela- 
tion, and  great  thankfulness  that  the  Gospel  was  sent  to 
him,  while  so  many  remained  in  darkness." 

The  narrative  next  proceeds  to  a  point  of  peculiar  interest, 
and,  while  it  illustrates  the  power  and  purity  of  the  Gospel, 
it  may  shed  light  on  the  question  of  missionary  policy  in 
regard  to  the  sin  in  question.  "  The  greatest  sacrifice  he 
had  to  make  was  the  renunciation  of  polygamy.  Of  all 
other  sins,  the  natives  had  an  idea  that  they  were  wrong  ; 
but  this  practice  they  never  regarded  as  sinful.  His  super- 
fluous wives  were  decidedly  the  most  amiable  females  in 
town  —  our  best  scholars,  too,  —  and,  hoping  that  their 
souls  might  also  be  given  to  us,  we  did  not  feel  called  upon 
otherwise  to  press  the  point  in  question  than  by  publicly 
endeavoring  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  Two  of 
them  were  the  daughters  of  under  chiefs,  through  whoso 
influence,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  Sechele  succeeded  to 


A   STRAY  SHEEP   IN   THE   JUNGLES.  113 

tTae  chieftainship.  This  circumstance  made  his  parting  with 
thc-m  assume  the  appearance  of  ingratitude,  and  led  him  to 
propose  to  remove  to  some  other  country  for  four  years,  in 
order  that  they  might,  in  the  interval,  forget  him  and  be- 
come married  to  others.  From  the  evident  change  in  his 
disposition,  and  improvement  of  his  character,  and  the  fact 
of  his  sending  two  of  his  wives  to  their  parents,  with  the 
message  that  the  '  Word  of  God  had  come  between  him 
and  their  daughters,'  followed  by  the  expression  of  his  de- 
sire to  observe  the  laws  of  Jesus,  we  no  longer  hesitated  to 
receive  him  into  our  communion.  A  third  wife  was  taken 
to  her  own  tribe,  because  she  had  no  relatives  among  the 
Bakwains,  and  she  left  us  with  many  tears.  A  fourth, 
although  in  the  same  situation,  we  thought  should  remain, 
since  she  had  a  little  daughter.  Each  wife  was  allowed  to 
take  awaj'  all  the  property  which  belonged  to  her,  and  the 
chief  gave  them  all  presents  of  new  clothing  previous  to 
sending  them  home  to  their  friends. 

"  On  the  morning  after  it  was  known  that  the  chief  had 
renounced  his  waives  on  account  of  the  Gospel,  a  general 
consternation  seemed  to  seize  both  young  and  old  ;  the  town 
was  as  quiet  as  if  it  had  been  Sunday  ;  not  a  single  woman 
was  seen  going  to  her  garden.  Pechos  (or  councils)  were 
held  during  the  night,  in  order  to  intimidate  him,  and  make 
him  renounce  his  purpose  ;  but,  after  being  tried  in  various 
ways  for  a  period  of  two  months,  he  stood  firm,  and  wo 
proceqded  to  administer  to  him  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 
Many  of  the  spectators  were  in  tears  on  the  occasion  ;  but 
these  were,  in  general,  tears  of  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  their 
rain-maker,  or  of  grief  at  seeing  the  closest  ties  of  relation- 
ship to  him  completely  broken."  —  London  3Iiss.  Mag., 
1849,  p.  115. 

A    STRAY    SHEEP    IN    THE    JUNGLES. 

A  Brahmin  of  distinction,  named  Dondaba,  in  Belgaum, 
Western  India,  embraced  the  Gospel,  and  was  baptized,  in 
connection  with  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  England. 
By  this  act  he  lost  possession  of  his  houses,  his  fields,  his 
wells,  his  toife,  and  his  children.  Such  was  the  inexorable 
law  of  caste.  On  being  asked  how  he  bore  his  sorrows, 
and  if  he  was  supported  under  them,  he  replied,  "Ay,  I 
am  often  asked  that,  but  I  am  never  asked  how  \  bear  my 
joys,  for  I  have  joys  within,  with  which  a  stranger  intermed- 
dles not.  The  Lord  Jesus  sought  me  out  and  found  me,  a 
10* 


114  EXAMPLES    OF   PIETY   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

poor  strayed  sheep  in  the  jung-les,  and  he  brought  me  to  fcis 
fohi,  and  he  will  never  leave  nie.  To  whom  else  should  I 
go,  if  I  were  to  leave  him  ?  "  —  "  Twenty  years  subsequent 
to  this  event,"  says  the  narrator,  "  I  met  Dondaba.  The 
venerable  man  had  outweathered  every  storm,  and  was  an 
humble  Christian  still.  lie  had,  for  the  first  time,  recently 
got  a  copy,  in  Mahratta,  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  and  ho 
was  almost  sure  that  it  must  have  been  written  after  the 
death  of  Christ,— rei'erring  to  that  wonderful  fifty-third  chap- 
ter. He  did  not  sleep  till  he  had  read  the  prophecy  through. 
Having  been  invited  to  attend  a  missionary  meeting  at 
Bombay,  nearly  four  hundred  miles  off",  and  been  offered  a 
horse  for  the  journey  by  a  pious  man,  he  reflected  a  little, 
and  said,  '  My  Lord  and  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  never  rode, 
and  I  will  walk  as  he  did,  and  bless  God  that  I  am  going  to 
a  missionary  meeting.'  "  —  Jour,  of  Hiss.,  Feb.,  1862. 

THE  INDIAN"  CHIEF  AND   THE   MISSIONARIES. 

A  chief  of  one  of  the  North  American  Indian  tribes  once 
related  in  the  hearing  of  a  Baptist  clergyman  (Rev.  Dr. 
Stowe),  of  Boston,  a  series  of  deeply  interesting  facts, 
which  had  occurred  in  his  own  experience,  and  which  are 
given  as  related  by  him.  He  was  the  son,  he  said,  of  a  dis- 
tinguished chief,  and  succeeded  to  his  father's  office  and 
authority.  His  earliest  recollections  of  life  were  recollec- 
tions of  suffering.  When  he  was  about  twelve  years  of  age 
he  went  on  a  war  expedition  with  his  father.  The  tribe 
were  successful,  having  scalped  and  killed  numbers  of  their 
enemies.  They  returned,  and  obtained  a  keg  of  whiskey 
to  celebrate  their  victory.  They  sat  down  on  the  shore  of 
one  of  the  vast  American  lakes,  under  the  shadow  of  a  hill 
which  projected  some  distance  into  the  lake,  in  the  form  of 
a  promontory.  There  they  had  poured  out  libations  to  the 
evil  spirit,  the  god  of  war  ;  and  they  were  about  to  com- 
mence drinking,  when  one  of  the  Indian  runners  came  up 
to  the  chief,  in  great  haste,  and  whispered  something  in  his 
ear.  The  chief  started,  and  told  some  of  his  men  to  cover 
the  whiskey  with  a  blanket,  to  prevent  it  from  being  seen. 
Looking  round,  he  then  saw  two  grave  and  venerable  look- 
ing men  coming  round  the  shore  of  the  lake.  He  knew 
them  to  be  Christian  missionaries.  They  came  to  him  and 
addressed  him.  They  told  him  of  the  story  of  Christ,  who 
came  from  heaven,  not  to  destroy,  but  to  save  his  enemies  ; 
not  to  kill  them,  but  to  give  his  life  for  theirs.     The  old 


THE   INDIAN   CHIEF   AND    THE   MISSIONARIES.  115 

chief  tlircw  his  blanket  over  his  head.  His  son  (who  told 
the  story),  noticing  that  his  father's  frame  was  all  agitation, 
looked  under  the  blanket,  and  saw  the  big  tears  rolling 
down  his  checks.  "  I  never  saw  a  tear  on  my  father's  face 
before,"  said  he.  "  It  filled  me  with  astonishment,  and  I 
could  not  conceive  what  had  brought  the  tears  into  his 
eyes.  The  missionaries  asked  my  father  if  he  would  go  to 
their  station  and  learn  more  about  the  love  of  this  Great 
Spirit.  The  tribe  agreed  to  go,  and  then  my  father,  the 
chief,  said,  '  Take  that  barrel  of  whiskey,  and  pour  it  into 
the  lake.'  He  knew  that  whiskey  and  the  Gospel  could  not 
go  together.  The  order  was  obeyed ;  the  whiskey  was 
poured  into  the  lake."  It  was  early  in  the  day,  and  the 
sun  was  rising  with  beautiful  clearness  over  the  surface  of 
the  lake,  when  the  old  chief,  his  son,  and  the  two  mission- 
aries, got  into  the  first  canoe,  forming  together  a  continuous 
line.  As  they  were  rowing  over  the  lake,  one  of  the  mis- 
sionaries began  singing  this  hymn  : 

"  Jesus  my  all  to  heaven  is  gone,"  &c. 

The  Indians  understood  enough  of  the  English  language  to 
get  the  import  of  the  whole  of  this  hymn.  They  had  already 
heard  the  story  of  Christ ;  and  so  intensely  interested  were 
they,  that  their  souls  were  filled  with  these  new  thoughts. 
No  sooner  had  the  missionaries  concluded  the  hymn,  than 
they  lifted  their  paddles,  and  said,  "  Sing  it  again."  This 
was  done  ;  but  even  then  they  were  not  satisfied  ;  and  so 
the  missionaries,  as  they  crossed  the  lake,  sung  repeatedly 
of  what  was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  the  savages  : 

"  Jesus  my  all  to  heaven  is  gone, 
He  whom  I  fix  my  hopes  upon,"  &c. 

When  they  came  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  the  dealers 
saw  the  Indians  with  the  missionaries,  and  said  to  the  chief, 
"Where  are  you  going?"  He  replied,  "  I  am  going  to 
hoar  about  Him  who  came  from  heaven  to  save  his  ene- 
mies."—  "  You  fool !  "  said  the  dealers,  "  do  you  know  what 
these  missionaries  mean  to  do  with  you  ?  They  have  a 
large  enclosure  at  the  station,  with  a  stone  wall  ;  you  can 
only  enter  by  a  narrow  gate  ;  and,  when  they  have  got  you 
in,  they  will  put  combustibles  around  you,  set  fire  to  them, 
and,  after  burning  j'ou,  take  possession  of  your  territory;  — 
that  is  what  they  mean  to  do  with  you."     The  old  chief  felt 


116  EXAMPLES    OP   PIETY   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

anxious,  but  said,  "  At  any  rate,  I  will  go  and  see."  They 
travelled  two  days  ;  and,  on  coming  near  the  missionary 
station,  the  old  chief,  taking  his  son  aside,  said  to  him, 
"  Do  you  and  the  rest  lie  down  in  yonder  swamp,  and,  if 
anything  happens  to  us,  hasten  back  to  the  village,  and  take 
care  of  the  women  and  children  ;  but  come  here  every  day, 
in  the  afternoon,  to  see,  if  you  can,  what  is  going  on." 
The  chief  entei-ed  the  station.  The  tribe  came  for  two 
days,  as  he  had  directed,  but  all  was  quiet.  When  they 
returned  on  the  third  day  there  w^as  a  sound  of  distress. 
"  0,"  said  the  young  chief,  in  giving  the  account,  "I  heard 
my  father's  voice,  as  I  never  heard  it  before,  crying  earnestly 
for  mercy.  I  thought  they  were  burning  him.  I  rushed  in 
with  my  companions,  and  found  him  on  his  knees  in  pi'aj'er, 
pi-aying  the  Great  Spirit  to  send  down  converting  grace 
into  his  heart.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me,  he  clasped  me  in  his 
arms,  and  began  to  pray  with  me  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and 
we  rejoiced  together  in  the  hope  of  mercy.  We  then  went 
back  to  the  village,  and,  0,  what  a  change  was  produced  ! 
The  women  and  children  were  all  gathered  around  us,  and 
we  told  them  the  story  of  Him  who  came  down  from  heaven 
to  save  his  enemies.  We  had  the  hymn,  '  Jesus  my  all  to 
heaven  is  gone,'  translated  into  our  language  ;  we  had  por- 
tions of  the  Testament  also  translated  ;  and  all  my  recollec- 
tions are  of  joyousness,  while  the  prospect  became  bright." 
The  young  chief  added  that  his  mother,  formerlj^,  when  sick, 
had  no  one  to  care  for  her  body  or  soul ;  but  now  she  was 
taken  care  of  till  she  died ;  and,  as  long  as  she  had  her 
voice,  was  often  heard  singing, 

"  Jesus  my  all  to  heaven  is  gone." 

—  London  Miss.  Mag.,  1853,  p.  147. 

EXTRAORDINARY  EFFORTS  TO  HEAR  THE  "WORD. 

So  great  was  the  desire  in  the  Sandwich  Islands  to 
attend  places  of  religious  meeting,  and  hear  the  word,  that 
at  times  the  sick  and  infirm  were  brought  on  litters,  or  on 
the  backs  of  their  friends.  The  blind,  too,  were  led  by  a 
string,  a  stick,  or  a  strip  of  kapa.  "  The  sightless  husband 
follows  the  wife,  the  wife  the  husband,  the  parent  the  child, 
and  the  lillle  child  leads  the  afflicted  parent  or  the  trembling 
grandsire  to  the  place  of  prayer."  Says  the  missionary, 
"  It  is  affecting  to  see  this  class  of  people  patiently  thread- 
ing their  way  over  hill  and  dale,  and  through  jungle,  slough 


KONAI   DAS,   A   MODEL    CHRISTIAN.  117 

and  river,  iu  order  to  hear  the  word  of  life,  and  see  the  light 
of  the  world.  One  blind  man  —  Bartimeus  —  followed  me 
thirty  miles,  over  rivers  and  precipices,  on  the  most  difficult 
road  I  ever  travelled,  to  hear  the  Gospel,  and  pray  for  tlie 
peace  of  Jerusalem.  I  would  have  pronounced  it  incredible 
that  he  should  have  passed  safely  over  such  a  road,  if  1  had 
not  seen  it.  He  is  a  devoted  and  good  man,  and  says, 
'  My  natural  eyes  are  blind,  but  my  soul  sees.'  " — Hiss. 
Her.,  1841,  p.  196. 

KONAI  DAS,  A  MODEL  CHRISTIAN. 

A  case  of  conversion  like  that  of  Konai  Das  conveys  to 
the  mind  some  most  useful  lessons,  both  as  showing  by 
what  means  God  often  works,  and  how  his  Gospel  triumphs 
over  the  most  adverse  circumstances.  The  narrative  is 
given  by  Rev.  Mr.  Stul)bins,  the  scene  of  whose  labors  was 
in  Northern  India,  chiefly  at  Berhampore.  While  on  a  mis- 
sionary tour,  he  met  with  this  man,  who  asked  him  for  a 
book,  and  who  read  it  off  with  a  fluency  which  was  quite 
unaccountable.  "But,"  says  Mr.  S.,  "the  mystery  was 
soon  explained.  W  en  we  visited  Konai  Das's  district, 
about  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  we  distributed  books  in  the 
principal  villages,  but,  this  man's  village  being  a  small  one, 
we  did  not  go  there.  lie  saw  some  who  had  the  books, 
however,  and  begged  them.  He  got  the  tracts,  '  God  is  a 
Spirit,'  and  '  The  Confuter  of  Caste  ; '  also  the  Gospel  of 
John,  and  the  volume  of  'Poetical  Tracts.'  These  he  read 
with  deep  interest,  and  soon  began  to  dispute  with  the 
people  of  his  village,  declaring  that  caste  was  all  a  lie,  and 
the  invention  of  the  devil ;  that  the  gods  they  worshipped 
were  all  false,  and  that  the  works  he  had  performed  in  the 
name  of  religion  were  vain  and  wicked.  Brahmins  and 
others  tried  to  convince  him  that  by  reading  the  Christian 
books  he  was  blaspheming  the  gods  ;  but  they  were  soon 
silenced.  His  wife  became  alarmed,  and  declared  she 
would  burn  his  books  ;  but  she  was  soon  taken  with  the 
cholera,  when  her  friends  came  around  her,  and  began  to 
repeat  their  incantations.  But  Konai  Das  said  to  her, 
'  Why  do  you  call  upon  those  vile  gods  ?  Hold  your  noise  ; 
I  will  not  hear  them.  My  hope  is  in  Him  who  comforted 
the  weeping  sisters,  when  he  raised  their  brother  Lazarus 
from  the  grave  ;  even  in  Jesus  is  my  hope.'  Shortly  after 
this  his  child  was  taken  sick,  but  he  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  any  but  Jesus  Christ.     He  was  very  anxious  to  find 


118  EXAMPLES    OF   PIETY   AND    BENEVOLENCE. 

the  Christians  (foi*  he  had  not  yet  seen  a  missionary),  and 
once  he  came  to  Berhampore  ;  but  the  people  derided  liim, 
and  told  him  all  sorts  of  lies.  He  said  he  had  often  prayed 
that  we  might  come  to  his  village,  and  now  the  Lord  had 
sent  us.  He  made  up  his  mind  to  come  and  reside  with  us, 
and  hoped  his  wife  would  come  too  ;  but  he  added,  '  If  she 
does  not,  I  cannot  help  it ;  /  cannot  afford  to  go  to  hell 
because  she  might  ivish  it.'  He  gave  a  very  clear  account  of 
his  conversion  and  of  his  hope  in  Christ ;  but  said,  '  I  have 
often  felt  .very  anxious  about  one  thing,  and  that  is,  about 
the  blood  of  Christ,  which  cleanses  from  all  sin.  I  do  not 
know  the  meaning  of  this.'  I  explained  it  to  him  ;  upon 
which  he  exclaimed,  with  an  ecstasy  of  joy,  '  0,  now  I 
understand  it ;  I  thought  when  Christ  was  crucified  his 
blood  might  have  been  caught  and  preserved,  and  that  it 
required  in  some  way  to  be  applied  to  the  sinner.'  Surely, 
such  a  case  as  this  demands  our  gratitude  and  praise. 
Here  is  a  man  in  the  midst  of  heathenism,  one  who  had 
never  seen  a  missionary  or  native  Christian,  yet  daily  pray- 
ing to  Christ  for  salvation  and  eternal  life." 

Konai  Das  went  to  Berhampore,  not  long  after,  to  receive 
baptism.  He  said  he  tried  to  prevail  upon  his  wife  to 
accompany  him,  but  she  refused,  and  entreated  him  not  to 
lose  caste  by  eating  with  the  Christians.  He  went  without 
her,  and  was  admitted  to  church  fellowship.  Several 
months  later  he  had  an  interview  with  his  wife,  and  tried  to 
induce  her  to  go  with  him.  She  consented  —  if  he  would 
leave  in  the  night;  but  he  replied,  "No!  we  are  not 
thieves  ;  we  have  injured  no  one  ;  we  fear  no  one  ;  and  I 
have  done  nothing  that  we  need  be  ashamed  of;  and  we 
will  not  leave  in  the  night."  His  mother  came  and  tapped 
him  under  the  chin,  saying,  "  My  son  !  my  son  !  make  up 
your  mind  to  stay  with  us,  and  we  will  by  some  means  get 
you  into  caste  again.  I  will  give  three  rupees."  And  his 
wife  said,  "  I  will  sell  all  the  ornaments  I  have,  and  you 
will  only  have  to  go  to  Pooree  and  see  Juggernaut."  To 
which  he  replied:  "  I  have  no  objection  to  go  to  Pooree, 
but  I  can  never  worship  Juggernaut."  But  the  mother 
said  :  "  We  do  not  wish  you  to  worship  the  idol  with  your 
viind;  only  worship  him  a  little  with  your  body."  He 
was  steadfast,  and  left  without  his  wife,  sajing  that 
"when  her  mind  was  disposed  to  come  he  should  be  de- 
lighted, but  he  would  not  force  her  away."  He  became 
a  fluent,  zealous  and  faithful  native  preacher,  furnishing  an 


EFFORTS  TO    OBTAIN   A   BIBLE.  119 

illustrious  example  of  the  power  of  divine  truth,  in  calling 
a  man  out  from  healhenism,  by  the  simple  means  of  reli- 
g'ious  reading,  and  giving  him  strength  to  bear  the  loss  of 
all  Ihings  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel.  —  Gen. 
Baptist  Bejws.,  1853,  p.  484. 

ALL    THAT   HE  HAD. 

Rev.  Mr.  Pitman,  missionary  to  the  Uervey  Islands,  says 
that  one  day,  as  he  was  standing  at  his  door,  a  deacon  came 
with  his  grandson,  a  child  about  six  years  of  ago.  On 
being  inquired  his  errand,  he  said,  pointing  to  the  boy, 
"  Something  for  the  society  he  has  to  oflFer ;  "  when  the  lad 
put  into  the  missionary's  hand  a  dollar.  Looking  at  him, 
and  seeing  he  was  ill-clothed,  the  missionary  said,  "  This  is 
too  much  ;  give  a  part  of  it,  and  buy  a  garment  with  the 
remainder."  —  "No,  no,"  said  the  good  man,  "it  is  prop- 
erty devoted  to  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  From  the  bark 
of  a  tree,  his  grandflither  will  beat  him  out  some  native 
cloth  for  a  garment ;  but  he  cannot  get  more  money."  The 
last  dollar  was  given  to  spread  the  Gospel,  not  to  replace  a 
tattered  coat.  What  a  lesson  to  impress  upon  the  mind  of 
a  boy  in  a  heathen  land  !  How  many  fathers  and  mothers 
do  as  well  in  a  Christian  country  ?  —  Jour,  of  Ilissions, 
Aug.,  1852. 

THE    NEW  ZEALANDER  AND   THE    BIBLE. 

A  New  Zealand  convert,  who  had  leai'nt  something  of  the 
preciousness  of  truth,  applied  to  the  missionary  for  a  Bi- 
ble. The  missionary  replied,  "  I  have  disposed  of  all  my 
Testaments  at  the  different  stations  ;  but,  if  you  will  accom- 
pany me  to  Waikalo,  and  wait  till  the  ship  comes,  you  shall 
have  one."  —  "  0,  yes  ;  that  I  will  !  "  was  the  reply.  He 
accordingly  left  his  tribe,  his  friends,  and  his  home,  and 
accompanied  the  missionary  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  to  procure  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures. 

EFFORTS   TO   OBTAIN"  A  BIBLE. 

Some  of  the  most  extraordinary  manifestations  of  the 
power  of  Christianity  appeared  in  the  native  Christians  of 
Madagascar,  during  the  persecutions  to  which  they  were 
subjected.  The  following  is  an  instance:  "A  poor  man, 
in  a  very  feeble  state  of  health,  who  had  not  been  able  to 
quit  his  house  for  five  months,  on  hearing  that  the  teachers 
were  about  to  leave,  and  supposing  it  was  his  last  chance 


120  EXAMPLES    OF    PIETY   AND   BENEVOLENCE. 

for  obtaining  the  Bible,  determined  on  the  attempt  to  walk 
to  their  residence,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles.  He  started, 
and,  though  feeble  in  bod}^  he  did  not  rest  till  he  had  made 
the  journey,  and  obtained  for  himself  a  complete  copy  of 
the  sacred  volume.  On  receiving  it,  he  pressed  it  to  his 
bosom,  and  exclaimed,  "  This  contains  the  words  of  eternal 
life,  and  I  will  take  as  much  care  of  it  as  of  my  own  life." 
lie  was  soon  obliged  to  flee  to  the  forests  to  escape  the 
sword  of  persecution.  —  Narrative  of  Persecutions  in  Mada- 
gascar, p.  146. 

MISSIOKTARY  HARMONY  — ITS  INFLUENCE. 

In  Dibble's  History  of  the  Sanchvich  Islands  occurs  the 
following  passage,  illustrative  of  the  influence  exerted  on 
heathen  minds  by  an  example  of  Christian  union,  and  of  a 
meek  and  forgiving  spirit.  lie  says:  "One  of  the  first 
things  which  impressed  the  people  favorably,  in  regard  to 
the  missionaries,  was  the  union  which  prevailed  among 
them.  The  expression  was  very  common,  and  became  a 
proverb  among  them,  '  The  missionaries  have  but  one  aim 
in  all  that  they  do  ;  there  is  no  division  among  them.' 
Then  they  noticed  that  the  missionaries  were  industrious, 
toiling  night  and  day,  with  no  ostensible  object  but  to  con- 
fer blessings  upon  others.  They  especially  marked  the 
meek  and  unrevengeful  character  of  the  missionaries  when 
provoked  by  enemies.  A  certain  foreigner  treated  one  of 
the  missionaries  with  gross  insult  and  abuse  ;  but  he  took 
no  notice  of  the  abuse.  The  foreigner  was  weak  and  stag- 
gering from  intoxication.  The  crowd  that  was  looking  on, 
remarked,  'This  man  is  weak  ;  the  missionary  could  easily 
punish  him,  but  sjiows  no  disposition  to  be  revenged.' 
Others  said,  '  The  word  of  God  is  verified,  which  speaks  of 
meekness  and  forgiveness  ;  for  this  drunken  man  insults  the 
teacher,  but  he  does  not  resent  it.'  Instances  of  this  kind 
had  great  influence.  Even  the  heathen  have  their  eyes 
open  to  the  conduct  of  ministers,  and  are  nice  judges  of 
consistency  ;  and  there  is  no  jealous}'^  that  cannot  be  lived 
down  by  a  uniform  and  Cliristian  deportment." 


SINCERITY  AND  FIRMNESS  OF  CONVERTS. 


BEAIilTY    OF   HINDOO   CONVEBSIONS. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lacy,  long  a  missionary  in  Orissa,  India,  has 
borne  the  following  testimony  to  the  character  of  the  Hin- 
doo converts.  He  says  :  "  In  the  majority  of  instances  of 
native  converts  it  is  impossible  to  attribute  their  conver- 
sion to  other  than  sincere  motives.  They  were  men  of 
caste,  credit,  and  consideration,  among  their  countrymen  ; 
and,  in  embracing  Christianity,  they  have  become,  in  the 
estimation  of  their  countrymen,  the  offscouring  of  all  things. 
They  have  become  absolute  outcasts  ;  persons  with  Avhom 
none  would  hold  communion  — w^hom  no  one  would  touch. 

This  loss  of  credit  and  character  was  not  a  result  with 
which  they  were  unacquainted  ;  they  came  to  it  with  a  full 
knowledge  of  it,  and  with  a  keenness  of  feeling  and  appre- 
hension respecting  it,  of  the  extent  of  which  we  can  com- 
paratively be  no  judges.  They  have  approached  the  crisis, 
nevertheless,  steadily  and  resolutely.  The  importance  and 
the  excellence,  as  well  as  the  necessity,  of  Christianity, 
have  gradually  developed  themselves  to  their  minds,  till 
they  have  overcome  and  overborne  every  obstacle  and  every 
opposing  consideration  and  consequence.  The  same  remark 
is  true  as  to  their  means  of  subsistence.  Many  of  them 
were  respectably  situated  in  life  ;  some  not  necessitated  to 
work  at  all.  They  had,  therefore,  to  renounce  the  means  of 
easy  and  comfortable  subsistence  for  an  uncertainty.  At  the 
time  they  became  Christians  they  knew  not  how  they  should 
live,  and  their  teachers  knew  as  little  how  they  would  be 
able  to  subsist.  The  native  converts  have  suffered  the  loss 
of  all  things  for  Christ's  sake.  The  love  of  wife,  and 
children,  and  parents,  and  brothers,  and  sisters,  and  friends, 
dwells  as  strongly  in  their  bosoms  as  in  any  others  ;  yet 


122  SmCEEITY   AND    FIRMNESS    OF   CONVEETS. 

these  they  have  forsaken  when  called  upon  to  do  it,  for  the 
sake  of  professing  Christ  and  uniting  with  his  people. 
What  more,  I  ask,  can  be  required,  as  marks  of  sincerity  in 
any  people  professing  Christ  ? ''  As  many  cases  of  Hindoo 
conversion  are  related  in  this  volume,  the  above  testimony 
is  deemed  important,  as  evidence  of  their  reality.  —  Sutton's 
Orissa  and  its  Evangelization,  p.  368. 

CONVEKSION   OF  EREBON. 

Erebon  was  the  first  convert  baptized  in  Orissa,  India. 
He  had  been  a  very  wicked  man.  His  vices  had  sunk  him 
almost  to  the  grave,  and  his  wretchedness  led  him  to  attempt 
self-destruction.  He  determined  to  spend  his  days  in  the 
jungle,  and  left  home  for  that  purpose,  but  was  brought 
back  by  his  friends.  The  wretched  youth  was  seeking  for 
something  which  heathenism  could  not  furnish.  While  in 
this  state,  some  of  the  native  teachers  met  him,  and  said, 
"  Come  with  us,  and  we  will  do  you  good."  One  of  them 
prayed  with  him,  and  while  praying  his  emotions  and  tears 
choked  his  utterance,  and  he  could  not  proceed.  This  cir- 
cumstance made  a  deep  impression  on  Erebon's  mind.  He 
was  enlightened  to  see  his  sins,  and  at  length  determined 
to  be  one  of  the  disciples  of  the  Lord.  "  Come  what  may," 
he  said,  "  let  reproach,  or  tribulation,  or  persecution,  be  my 
lot,  this  people  shall  be  my  people,  their  God  shall  be  my 
God,  and  I  will  live  and  die  with  them."  He  kept  his  pur- 
pose, and  subsequently,  in  the  presence  of  a  thousand  spec- 
tators, young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  he  was  baptized  and 
admitted  to  the  mission  church.  —  Orissa  and  its  Evangeli- 
zation, p.  177. 

THIRTEEN"   YEARS    IN  CHAINS. 

A  Hindoo  met  a  missionary  one  day,  and  had  ten  minutes' 
conversation  with  him.  On  parting,  the  missionary  gave 
him  a  tract  and  a  New  Testament,  and  heard  no  more  of 
him.  The  Hindoo  read  the  books,  and  began  to  feel  that 
he  -was  a  sinner,  and  needed  some  better  Saviour  than  a 
dumb  idol.  Gradually  he  left  off  worshipping  idols,  and 
no  longer  paid  anything  towards  the  support  of  the  temple. 
Soon  he  said,  "  I  Avant  to  go  and  see  the  missionary  again." 
He  had  several  grown-up  children,  and  they  exclaimed, 
"  No,  you  shall  not  go,  for  you  will  only  receive  more  tracts, 
and  you  will  disgrace  us  among  our  people."  At  the  same 
time  they  brought  letters,  and  bound  him  hand  and  foot,  so 


GRACE   TRIUMPHANT.  123 

that  the  poor  man  could  not  stir.  No  Christian  was  near  to 
encourage  him  or  to  instruct  him  ;  but  Christ  was  near,  and 
his  faith  did  not  fail.  He  still  resolved  that,  as  soon  as  his 
fetters  were  unloosed,  he  would  find  his  way  to  the  Chris- 
tian teacher.  For  tkiiieen  years  he  was  kept  in  chains  ! 
Many  would  have  said,  before  that  time,  "  0,  loosen  my 
chains,  and  I  won't  think  any  more  about  the  missionary ! " 
But  the  Hindoo  man  had  read  the  New  Testament  too  well 
to  forget  it.  At  length  a  wedding  was  about  to  take  place 
in  the  family,  and  his  children  were  anxious  that  he  should 
go  to  it ;  so  they  unchained  him.  He  took  good  care  to 
put  the  tracts  and  the  Testament  in  his  cloth  under  his 
arms,  without  the  knowledge  of  his  friends.  He  went  to 
the  place  where  the  marriage  ceremony  was  to  be  performed, 
and,  when  they  were  all  busy  and  excited  in  the  festival,  he 
gave  them  a  slip,  and  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  mis- 
sionary's house,  which  was  twenty -five  miles  oif.  When 
he  arrived  there,  the  missionary  did  not  remember  him. 
He  looked  at  him  from  head  to  foot,  but  could  not  recall 
him.  No  wonder  ;  it  was  fourteen  years  since  he  had  seen 
him,  and  then  only  for  ten  minutes.  The  man  said  to  him, 
"  1  wish  to  be  a  Christian."  He  was  asked,  "What  do 
you  know  about  Christianity  ?  "  He  said,  "Ask  me  some 
questions,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  I  know."  The  mission- 
ary asked  him  some  questions,  and  he  answered  them  all 
very  correctly.  Of  course  the  missionary  was  very  much 
surprised,  and  he  inquired  of  the  man  how  he  had  gained 
his  knowledge  of  Jesus.  He  replied,  "Did  you  not,  when 
you  passed  by  my  village,  fourteen  years  ago,  give  me  some 
tracts  ?  They  taught  me  that  Christ  is  the  only  Saviour  ; 
and  I  was  unhappy  as  long  as  I  was  a  heathen.  I  have  for 
some  time  left  oft"  idol-worship,  and  I  should  have  come  to 
you  before  now,  to  tell  you  that  I  believed  in  Jesus,  but  I 
have  been  chained  to  my  house."  He  then  showed  the 
wounds  which  the  fetters  had  made  on  his  hands  and  feet. 
The  missionary  was  surprised  and  rejoiced,  and,  after  some 
further  conversation  with  him,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks, 
baptized  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. — Missionary 
Repository,  1846,  p.  102. 

GRACE  TRIUMPHANT. 

Among  the  distinguished  converts  at  Nicomedia  was 
priest  Haritoon,  whom  the  enemy  were  much  chagrined 
at  losing,  and  extremely  anxious  to  win  back  to  their  com- 


124  SINCERITY   AND    FIRMNESS   OF   CONVERTS. 

panionship  and  service.  Individuals  of  the  party  opposed 
to  the  Protestants  had  frequent  interviews  with  him,  of 
several  hours  each,  "in  which  they  used  every  argument 
which  ingenuity  and  flattery  could  devise.  lie  was  told 
that  he  might  believe  what  he  pleased,  and  act  as  he  liked. 
All  they  wanted  of  him  was  merely  to  appear  in  the  church  ; 
or,  if  he  could  not  do  that,  simply  to  say  that  he  was  with 
them  (the  Armenians)  in  heart.  They  also  promised  him, 
if  he  would  join  them  again,  that  a  rich  and  influential  Ar- 
menian of  Constanlinople  would  give  him  a  monthly  sti- 
pend ;  and,  if  he  pleased,  he  might  also  go  to  this  individ- 
ual's house,  and  live  at  his  ease,  having  an  abundance  to 
eat  and  drink." 

Tliis  was  not  unlike  the  temptation  which  the  devil  ad- 
dressed to  Christ ;  but,  by  the  grace  of  Christ,  it  was  firmly 
resisted.  An  anathema  was  soun  pronounced  against  him, 
in  which  he  was  called,  and  was  afterwards  styled,  "  Tchick 
Ilaritoon,"  which  was  equivalent  to  saying,  "  Ilaritoon  is 
no  longer ;  he  is  a  nonentity."  In  allusion  to  this  phrase- 
ology, he  said  to  his  persecutors,  "  You  pronounced  me  a 
nonentity  —  a  thing  of  utter  naught.  Of  what  use  can  a 
thing  of  naught  be  to  you  ?  Why  give  yourself  so  much 
trouble  to  secure  one  to  your  party,  who  is  no  longer  in 
existence  ?  I  am  dead,  —  dead  to  you,  dead  to  the  Arme- 
nian nation,  dead  to  the  Armenian  church.  And  pray  of 
what  use  can  a  dead  man  be  to  you  ?"  Let  Christians  learn 
hence  how  to  silence  the  tempter,  by  being  of  no  more  ac- 
count in  his  service  than  a  dead  man. — Miss.  Her.,  184*1, 
p.  12G. 

DEATH  BETTER    THAN  DENTTIWG  CHRIST. 

While  the  cholera  was  raging  in  Southern  India,  a  native 
Christian  gave  a  strong  evidence  of  his  devotion  to  Clirist, 
—  a  devotion  the  more  striking,  says  the  missionary,  to 
those  who  know  the  great  timidity  of  natives  of  the  Sharar 
caste.  A  dear  child  of  this  man  was  attacked,  and  died  of 
cholera ;  and,  soon  after,  his  other  children  were  attacked 
with  the  same  disease.  While  this  man  was  in  this  dis- 
tress, a  heathen  came  to  him,  and  declared  that  the  only 
way  to  save  himself  and  the  remainder  of  his  family  alive, 
was  to  sacrifice  to  tlie  idols,  and  to  renounce  Christianity, 
producing  instances  of  some  Christians  liaving  thus  stopped 
the  evil.  "  Well,"  said  the  Christian,  with  a  firmness  which 
the  heathen  neighbor  did  not  expect,  "if  this  is  the  only 


LUKHEIN-DAS.  125 

•y'rt.y  to  escape  death,  I  will  rather  have  myself  and  all  my 
family  die  here  on  the  spot.  I  will  not  deny  my  Saviour, 
neither  will  any  of  my  family  deny  him." — Miss.  Her., 
3Iarch,  1831. 

LUKHEIN-DAS. 

This  man  was  a  Hindoo,  a  wandering  bjn-agee  (devotee), 
led  captive  by  horrible  delusions,  and  his  curses  against 
those  who  displeased  him  were  most  bitter,  and  in  some 
instances  excited  a  fear  and  dread  which  resulted  in  death. 
When  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  began  to  read  the  shasters, 
and  to  study  the  two  principal  ways  to  bliss  —  the  way  by 
meditation,  and  the  way  by  works.  He  spent  much  time 
with  Pundits,  Brahmins,  and  Boishnobs,  eat  intoxicating 
and  stupefying  drugs,  became  quarrelsome  and  insolent  to 
his  mother  and  his  neighbors,  and  in  this  way  wandered 
about,  creating  great  confusion.  At  length  he  began  to 
steal,  commit  fornication,  and  covet  other  men's  wives  and 
property.  He  became  alarmed,  finally,  at  his  own  enormi- 
ties, and  wondered  how  sin  could  be  pardoned  ;  but  the 
Bhagabot  said,  "  No  one  can  commit  so  many  sins  that 
Krisha's  name  cannot  destroy."  And  another  book  said, 
"Eating  a  piece  of  food  offered  to  Juggernaut,  the  size  of 
a  grain  of  sand,  even  the  sin  of  killing  a  Brahmin  is  de- 
stroyed ;  how  then  can  any  other  sin  remain  ?  "  His  fears 
were  quieted,  and  he  continued  in  his  old  courses,  resorting, 
meanwhile,  to  all  sorts  of  penances,  incantations,  pilgrim- 
ages, &c.,  to  atone  for  his  sins.  In  the  midst  of  his  career, 
and  while  on  a  pilgrimage,  he  received  a  Christian  tract  and 
the  ten  commandments,  from  Seebo  Saho,  a  distinguished 
luitive  convert.  Lukhein-das  says,  in  giving  his  own  his- 
tory, under  the  eye  of  the  missionar}^,  "These  I  sketched 
over,  and  could  not  forbear  saj'ing,  these  contain  good 
words  ;  I  will  read  these  carefully  ;  they  are  full  of  excel- 
lent instruction.  I  one  day  read  the  ten  commandments  in 
the  hearing  of  Madhu-das,  and  he  said,  'These  are  the  books 
of  the  demons,  —  go  not  astray  with  these.'  Others  said, 
'  They  destroy  people's  castes.'  Others  said,  'In  the  four 
ages  of  the  world  our  religion  and  practices  have  existed  ; 
we  will  follow  them.'  In  this  way  all  united  to  despise  the 
holy  book." 

Lukhein-das  says,  "I  was  grieved  in  my  mind,  and  said, 
I  will  worship  my  new  Lord,  and  will  be  a  disciple  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  you  Juggernaut,  Kadhu,  Krishna,  Rama,  Gobinda, 
11* 


126  SINCERITY   AND    FIRMNESS    OF   CONVERTS. 

Kesabe,  Doitari,  Mahadeb,  Chundi,  Chamudi,  Boirab,  Gd- 
nesh,  Kalee,  and  all  you  three  hundred  and  thirty  millions 
of  gods  ;  you  ten  incarnations  of  Vislmoo,  with  the  other 
forty-two  incarnations  ;  you  gooroos,  brahmins,  devotees  ; 
you  stones,  wood,  rivers,  muntras,  juntras  ;  you  bades  and 
badantes  ;  you  songs  bhagabot,  ramayun  ;  you  holy  places, 
Kasi,  Brundabun,  Dvvarica,  &c.  ;  Gunga"  bathing.  Jugger- 
naut darsana,  BrumJia  gyna,  —  all  these  are  deceitful  and 
vain  ;  in  them  is  no  salvation  fur  the  soul."  His  heathen 
friends  and  neighbors,  hearing  these  words,  said,  "Lotus 
attend  to  our  worship,  and  not  hear  his  words."  But  Luk- 
hein-das  said,  "  Hear  what  this  book  is  ;  as  God  is  pure  and 
sinless,  without  spot,  so  is  this  book,  and  those  are  cleansed 
from  sin  who  follow  its  instructions.  It  is  written  in  this 
book  that  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  Whosoever  receives  this 
truth,  will  obtain  salvation  ;  but  whosoever  rejects  it,  will 
dwell  through  endless  ages  in  hell.  Behold,  ye  holy  men, 
and  men  of  all  castes,  behold  and  meditate  on  this  book, 
and  seek  that  ye  may  find."  Not  long  after  this,  he  met 
Seebo  Saho,  the  convert  before  mentioned,  and  said  to 
him,  in  answer  to  a  question,  "  I  have  had  many  gooroos, 
and  have  associated  with  many  devotees,  but  have  not 
ascertained  how  salvation  may  be  obtained.  I  have  adopted 
Abadhut's  rope,  smeared  myself  with  ashes,  eaten  from  the 
vessels  of  all  castes,  have  rejected  all  ideas  of  caste,  have 
visited  holy  places,  have  been  in  hard  fastings,  watchings, 
fears,  sorrows,  afflictions,  and  distresses  often,  but  have 
found  no  salvation."  One  day,  travelling  with  Seebo,  they 
came  to  a  house  where  a  great  contention  arose,  in  conse- 
quence of  Seebo's  declaring  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  the  only  true  religion.  Of  this  event  Lukhein-das  says, 
"I  told  Seebo  the  people  would  revile;  but  said.  Never 
mind  ;  if  I  die,  be  it  so  ;  why  should  we  turn  again  to  the 
woi'ship  of  Vishnoo  ?  "  And,  he  continues  in  his  narrative, 
"Our  spite  against  the  gods  daily  increased,  and  we  de- 
clared that  in  all  this  world  there  is  no  Saviour  but  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  On  one  occasion,  a  boishnob  inquired 
who  was  the  Saviour.  I  said.  Behold,  0  Babba  Jee,  you 
worship  wood  and  stones,  you  wear  necklaces,  you  offer 
many  sacrifices,  but  in  none  of  tliem  can  you  obtain  salva- 
tion.    I  then  told  him  of  the  true  sacrifice. 

"At  this  time,"  says  Lukhein,   "we  received  a  tract, 


LUKHEIN-DAS.       '  127 

called  the  Life  of  Christ,  and  read,  '  The  multitude  delight 
in  darkness.'  This  darkness,  said  Seebo,  is  sin,  at  the 
thought  of  which  we  both  wept.  I  then  said  to  him,  Broth- 
er, what  is  your  mind  ?  Behold,  0  brother,  Jesus  Christ 
gave  his  life  for  sinners  ;  he  delivered  himself  up  to  be  a 
sacrifice.  Thinking  on  these  things,  my  mind  has  become 
distressed.  Behold,  0  brother,  we  are  great  sinners  !  In 
this  sinful  world,  until  now,  how  much  have  we  strayed,  — 
how  many  sins  committed,  and  who  shall  number  our  thefts 
and  adulteries  ?  Eemembering  these  things,  together  we 
wept  and  lamented,  and  charged  our  souls  to  beware  of  sin, 
and  to  regard  the  holy  book.  *  *  At  this  time,  an  order 
from  the  raja  came,  saying,  that  as  he  had  heard  that  we 
had  read  the  Padre  Sahib's  (missionary's)  books,  the  people 
were  to  beat  us,  and  drive  us  away,  wherever  we  might  sit, 
Seebo  then  said,  if  we  should  stay  here,  the  raja  will  cause 
us  to  be  taken  and  beaten,  and  what  else  he  will  do  we 
know  not.  I  replied,  who  is  he,  and  what  can  he  do  ?  He 
may  afflict  our  bodies,  but  he  can  never  hurt  our  souls. 
Why  should  we  fear  a  mortal,  though  he  be  a  raja  ?  Rather 
let  us  fear  Him  who  is  able  to  seat  us  in  heaven,  or  send  us 
to  hell.  Rising  earlj'^,  I  again  remembered  the  Lord,  put 
ray  things  together,  and  left  those  with  whom  I  had  been 
staying.  On  the  way  we  talked  much  about  religion.  That 
night  we  remained  hungry,  and  slept  in  a  hut.  At  Bhoy- 
erpore  we  inquired  for  the  Christians,  but  the  people,  revil- 
ing, said,  we  know  nothing  about  them.  One  day,  knowing 
not  whither  to  go,  we  went  and  seated  ourselves  at  the  foot 
of  a  hadomba-tree,  against  Padre  Sutton's  house.  *  *  Then 
Lacey  and  Sutton  Sahibs,  with  Rama-Chundra,  Krupa  Sind- 
hu  and  Doitaree,  came  to  us  ;  Lacey  Sahib  inquired  whence 
and  for  what  we  had  come.  I  said,  my  house  is  at  Olassa, 
in  Madhupore  ;  this  is  my  companion  (Seebo).  We  have 
received  and  read  your  books.  The  Jewel  Mine  of  Salva- 
tion, a  Gospel,  the  Ten  Commandments,  and  various  other 
books,  I  have  read  for  several  years  ;  during  which  time  I 
have  been  opposed  and  persecuted  by  all  castes  ;  but  my 
wish  still  was  to  leave  them.  The  raja  and  his  people  have 
opposed  us ;  but  let  them  oppose,  —  our  wish  is  to  live  accord- 
ing to  this  religion,  therefore  have  we  come.  Do,  my  dear 
Sahib,  tell  us  how  we  may  obtain  salvation.  Lacey  Sahib 
then  gave  much  instruction  concerning  time  and  eternity, 
body  and  soul,  sin  and  holiness,  the  birth,  miracles,  death, 
resurrection  and  ascension  of  Christ." 


128  SINCERITY   AND   FIRMNESS   OF   CONVERTS. 

Lukhein-das  and  Seebo-sabo,  were  subsequently  baptized, 
and  from  that  day  forward  went  on  their  way  rejoicing.  — ■ 
Oriasa  and  its  Evangelization,  p.  192. 

MOKE  THAN  MEAT  AND  DRINK. 

A  woman  in  India,  supposed  to  be  seventy  years  old  or 
more,  having  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  was 
called  to  meet  a  most  severe  test  of  her  sincerity.  Her 
husband  had  died,  and  the  relatives  had  deprived  her  of  all 
her  eflects  —  even  the  necessaries  of  life.  The  man  with 
whom  she  lived  neglected  even  to  provide  her  food  ;  and, 
on  being  remonstrated  with,  replied,  "  Why  should  1  care 
for  her  ?  Do  what  you  will,  she  will  soon  die  ;  what 's  the 
use  ?  "  Her  relatives  told  her  that  if  she  would  forsake 
Christianity,  and  return  to  her  heathen  profession,  they 
would  give  her  food  and  clothing  ;  but  she  replied,  "  If  you 
give  me  food  I  will  thankfully  eat  it ;  but,  if  you  will  not, 
1  will  go  hungry  ;  only  I  will  not  renounce  the  Lord.  I  do 
not  know  much  of  Christianity,  it  is  true,  but  I  know 
enough  of  it  to  place  all  my  trust  in  it.  I  can  beir  to  go 
hungry  ;  hut  I  cannot  and  loill  not  renoiince  the  Lord." 
How  like  in  spirit,  and  even  in  phrase,  is  the  answer  of  this 
old  Hindoo  Christian,  to  that  of  the  three  Jews  :  "  If  it  be 
so,  our  God,  whom  we  serve,  is  able  to  deliver  us  from  the 
burning  fiery  furnace,  and  he  will  deliver  us  out  of  thine 
hand,  0  king  !  But,  if  not,  be  it  known  unto  thee,  0  king, 
that  we  will  not  serve  thy  gods,  nor  worship  the  golden  image 
thou  hast  set  up."  —  Miss.  Reg.,  1853,  p.  406. 

HOW  TO  REASON  UNDER  TEMPTATION. 

Priest  Haritoon,  a  distinguished  convert  to  Christianity 
at  Constantinople,  had  many  severe  contests  with  the 
bishops  and  priests  of  the  Armenian  church,  in  which  they 
labored,  by  threats,  argument,  and  artifice,  to  bring  him  to 
submit  to  the  church  and  "  confess."  His  answer  on  one 
of  these  occasions  is  thus  described  by  himself;  "They 
continued  to  press  me,  saying  that  all  these  things  about 
which  I  made  difficulties,  were  foolish  things,  and  that  I  was 
in  danger  of  being  unnecessarily  punished.  I  replied,  that 
I  was  ready  cheerfully  to  receive  the  infliction  of  all  their 
threats  upon  me.  If  I  submit  to  your  requisitions,  I  said, 
1  shall  dwell  in  sorrow  and  mourning  all  my  days,  and  I 
shall  perish  in  despair,  and  lie  under  the  condemnation  of 
eternal  fire.     If,  on  the  other  hand,  for  the  glory  of  Christ, 


THE    BRIBE    REJECTED.  129 

I  do  not  submit,  I  shiill  always  live  in  jo}^,  and  terminate  my 
life,  whatever  deatli  may  come  upon  me,  in  the  hope  of  the 
glor}'  of  Christ,  and  of  being  a  partaker  of  the  inheritance 
of  saints,  ft)r  which,  also,  I  am  ready."  Would  all  Chris- 
tians under  temptation  reason  thus,  how  few,  comparatively, 
would  deny  Christ,  or  apostatize  from  his  service  !  Subse- 
quently, Priest  Haritoon  endured  the  most  bitter  and  cruel 
treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  Catholic  Armenians  ;  but  his 
faith  and  constancy  never  forsook  him,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
he  steadily  affirmed,  "For  the  wonderful  name  of  Christ,  I 
am,  God  helping  me,  ready  to  submit,  and  even  to  shed  my 
blood,  if  the  Lord  shall  so  will."  — Miss.  Her.,  1846,  p.  222. 

THE  BRIBE  REJECTED. 

Moodookrishnan,  a  young  man  of  Conjeveram,  near  Ma- 
dras, became  serious  in  connection  with  the  school  under 
the  care  of  the  missionaries  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland, 
and  thus  wrote  to  one  of  them  :  "  As  I  was  overlooking 
(studying)  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Old 
Testament,  the  Spirit  of  our  Lord  descended  on  my  soul, 
and  cast  out  the  devil  which  dwelt  in  my  mind."  lie  left 
his  relatives,  Api'il,  1850,  and  came  to  the  missionaries  at 
Madras,  seeking  baptism.  He  was  sent  back  to  the  school, 
where  his  father  and  friends  seized  him,  put  him  in  irons, 
compelled  him  to  receive  the  idolatrous  mark  on  his  fore- 
head, took  from  him  his  Bible,  and  tore  it  to  pieces,  and 
otherwise  insulted  and  abused  him.  His  father  said  to  him, 
"  What  is  your  desire  ?  If  you  want  money  or  marriage,  I 
will  do  it  for  you."  He  answered,  "  Though  j^ou  give  me 
a  thousand  rupees  and  a  fine  marriage,  who  wants  them  ?  I 
don't  want  them."  The  father  said,  "I  will  buy  and  give 
you  fine  clothes,  and  give  you  some  money  to  do  whatever 
you  like,  if  you  will  put  on  your  mark."  The  son  said,  "  I 
will  not."  He  at  length  found  means  to  escape,  and  came 
again  to  Madras,  agitated  and  almost  breathless,  having  had 
no  food  for  many  days.  lie  was  pursued  by  his  enraged 
father ;  but  the  missionaries  now  resolved  to  protect  him. 
He  would  not  go  with  his  father,  nor  even  see  him  alone  ; 
and  the  latter  on  leaving  the  room  spit  at  him  three  times 
in  token  of  contempt,  and  cursed  him.  This  interesting 
convert  was  soon  after  examined  in  the  presence  of  his 
fellow-students,  more  than  a  hundred  in  number,  and  his 
answers  showed  a  surprising  familiarity  with  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  an  understanding  of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  which 


130  SINCERITY   AND    FIRMNESS    OF   CONVERTS. 

greatly  astonished  the  missionaries,  and  deeply  impressed 
all  who  heard  him. 

NOT  MAD. 

At  Lagos,  in  the  Bight  of  Benin,  where  missionary  labor 
has  but  recently'-  commenced,  a  Sunday-school  girl,  named 
Ige,  requested  her  missionary,  Kev.  Mr.  White,  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  to  come  and  take  away  her 
idols,  as  she  wished  to  have  no  more  to  do  witii  them.  He 
went  accordingly,  and  she  brouglit  her  idols  and  laid  them 
at  his  feet.  Ige's  priestess,  hearing  of  this,  hastened  to  her 
in  the  hope  of  reclaiming  her.  "1  hear,"  said  she,  "that 
you  have  become  a  book-woman  (Christian).  "  Yes,"  Ige 
replied,  "  I  have  served  idols  long  enough,  and  now  I  deter- 
mine to  try  this  new  mode  of  worshipping  God."  —  "I  beg 
you,"  said  the  priestess,  "not  to  do  so,  else  we  shall  be  no 
longer  friends."  —  "  Though  you  may  hate  me  on  this  ac- 
count," continued  Ige,  "yet  1  love  you,  and  would  recom- 
mend to  you  this  new  religion."  —  "  Are  you  mad  ?  "  said 
the  woman. — ^ "  You  may  think  so,"  replied  Ige,  "but  I 
pray  that  you  will  one  day  become  as  mad  as  myself."  In 
spirit  and  terms  this  answer  of  Ige  is  like  that  of  Paul  to 
Festus,  "I  am  not  mad;"  and  his  reply  to  Agrippa,  "I 
would  that  thou  wert  altogether  as  I  am." 

POWER  OF  A  CONSISTENT  EXAMPLE. 

Two  females  accidentally  met,  on  a  stormy  Sabbath,  in  a 
church  in  Hungary,  under  the  ministrations  of  the  mission- 
ary of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland.  One  of  these  was  a 
converted  Jewess,  and,  in  conversation  with  the  other,  a 
stranger,  she  related  some  most  interesting  facts  respect- 
ing a  lady  of  distinction,  whom  she  had  often  brought  with 
her  to  meeting.  The  lady  in  question  was  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic, and  the  wife  of  an  Austrian  official,  who  was  also  a 
Catholic.  On  learning  the  history  and  happy  experience 
of  the  converted  Jewess,  she  determined  to  read  the 
Bible  for  herself ;  and,  having  procured  a  copy,  she  read  it 
daily,  with  earnest  supplications  that  she  might  be  made  to 
understand  it  and  feel  its  power.  Daily  she  called  her  chil- 
dren around  her,  and  read  the  Bible  to  them  with  prayer, 
but  always  in  secret,  dreading  the  consequences  if  the  mat- 
ter should  become  known  to  her  husband.  One  day,  how- 
ever, he  came  home  unexpectedly,  and  surprised  her  at  her 
usual  occupation.  "  What  book  is  that  ?  "  said  he,  seizing 
the  volume  in  her  hand.     "  It  is  the  Bible,  my  dear  —  the 


GOD    OR   MAMMON — A    HINDOO'S   CHOICE.  131 

word  of  God/'  she  meekly  replied.  "No  such  book  shall  be 
read  in  my  house,  I  command  you  ;  "  and,  at  the  same  time, 
he  dashed  the  sacred  volume  on  the  floor,  and  stamped  on 
it  with  his  foot.  After  speaking  a  great  deal  more,  much 
enraged,  although  generally  an  affectionate  husband,  he 
went  away,  she  endeavoring  to  pacify  him,  and  to  convince 
him  that  it  was  their  duty,  as  well  as  privilege,  to  read  and 
search  the  Scriptures.  Notwithstanding  this  trial  she  con- 
tinued to  read  and  pray  for  several  months,  her  eldest  son 
often  asking  her  to  read  to  him.  The  husband  at  various 
times  expostulated  with  her  ;  but  at  length  he  ceased,  as  if 
he  considered  further  resistance  useless.  One  day  he  came 
in  and  found  his  wife  alone,  and  said  to  her,  "  I  have  ob- 
served, my  dear,  how  patiently  and  meekly  you  have  borne 
my  anger,  while  endeavoring  to  oppose  j'our  religious  con- 
victions. I  have  seen  the  peace  and  consolation  you  have 
found  in  your  faith  ;  come,  let  us  in  future  read  the  Bible 
together,  for  I  feel  that  a  book  which  produces  such  blessed 
effects  can  be  no  other  than  the  word  of  God."  Thus  did 
an  example  of  consistent  reading  and  praying,  and  of  meek 
and  patient  endurance  of  contradiction,  appeal  to  the  sober 
convictions  of  an  opposer,  and  bring  him  to  a  cordial  and 
earnest  study  of  the  Scriptures.— Jour,  of  Miss.,  Dec,  1851. 

GOD   OR  MAMMON -A  HINDOO'S  CHOICE. 

Rev.  Mr.  Mullens,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  in 
Calcutta,  relates  that  a  native  young  Hindoo,  of  intelligence 
and  rank,  became  interested  in  Christianity,  and  pursued  his 
inquiries  for  thirteen  j^ears,  reading  a  great  many  works 
upon  the  subject.  lie  had  a  young  wife,  to  whom  he  taught 
the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  she, 
outstripping  her  husband  in  the  apprehension  of  true  reli- 
gion, received  the  Gospel  in  its  power  ;  and  in  turn  urged 
him  most  earnestly  to  come  out  on  the  Lord's  side.  "  Let 
us  live  in  a  hut,"  she  said,  "rather  than  remain  among 
idolaters."  She  died  an  avowed  Christian,  and  triumphing 
in  her  Redeemer.  Her  husband's  impressions  were  deep- 
ened, and  he  resolved  to  follow  her  advice.  He  left  his 
family,  took  a  house  of  his  own,  and  informed  his  family  of 
his  intentions.  His  father,  a  well-known  gentleman  in  Cal- 
cutta, was  strongly  opposed,  and  offered  him  two  thousand 
pounds  per  annum,  and  twelve  thousand  pounds  in  ready 
money,  if  he  would  abandon  his  purpose.  But  the  son  did 
not  hesitate  a  moment,  and  was  publicly  baptized  in  the  old 


132  SINCERITY   AND    FIEMNESS    OF    CONVERTS. 

mission  church.  For  a  long  time  before  this,  his  friends, 
observing'  his  tendencies,  placed  in  his  way  infidel  books, 
such  as  Strauss's  Life  of  Jesus,  and  the  writings  of  Emerson 
and  Theodore  Parker.  He  read  them  all,  but  he  resisted 
them  all,  as  he  did  his  father's  bribes,  and  chose  Christ  for 
his  portion.  — Amer.  Miss.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  19. 

FOBSAKING  ALL. 

A  man  of  the  name  of  Narapot  Singh,  of  the  Brahminical 
caste,  in  India,  received,  at  the  decease  of  his  father,  an 
estate  worth  about  one  hundred  thousand  rupees.  Soon 
after  this  event  Narapot  came  to  Calcutta,  and  there  em- 
braced Christianity.  According  to  the  Hindoo  law  he  was, 
by  this  act,  divested  of  all  his  property,  which  was  claimed 
and  held  by  the  other  heirs.  He  was  advised  that  any  eflbrt 
to  recover  it  would  be  useless,  and  he  submitted  cheerfully 
to  the  loss,  rather  than  go  back  to  idolatry.  At  the  time 
this  record  was  made  twenty  years  had  elapsed,  during 
the  whole  of  which  he  had  suffered  this  great  deprivation 
patiently,  being  employed  as  a  native  preacher  in  Calcutta, 
under  the  patronage  of  the  London  Missionary  Society. 
Thus  in  heathen  lands  Christianity  finds  converts  who,  more 
decidedly  than  is  often  done  in  Christian  lands,  literally 
forsake  all  fur  Christ.  —  J^ng.  Bap.  Miss.  Her.,  Oct.,  1831. 

THE  POOR  ARMENIAN-  AND  HIS  BIBLE. 

In  a  little  Armenian  neighborhood  in  the  island  of  Cyprus, 
consisting  of  only  thirty  houses,  the  Spirit  of  God  so  oper- 
ated, through  his  word,  that  nearly  all  the  people  were 
aroused,  and  many  were  converted  to  Christ.  Among  these 
was  one  poor  man  who  attracted  the  special  notice  of  the 
missionary,  who  says  of  him  :  "  There  he  was,  a  hard-work- 
ing, poor  man,  toiling  in  his  little  shop  to  support  his 
numerous  family,  with  his  Bible  by  his  side,  which  he 
always  kept  open  while  at  work.  '  There,'  said  he,  point- 
ing to  the  volume,  '  there  is  all  my  consolation  and  joy  ;  I 
sit  here,  and  my  eye  is  constantly  passing  from  my  work  to 
my  Bible,  and  from  my  Bible  to  my  work.'  When  I  spoke 
of  persecution,  he  said  it  might  come,  but  could  not  change 
matters.  'For,'  said  he,  'I  say  to  all  men,  look  at  this 
book,  and,  if  what  I  say  is  not  according  to  its  contents, 
here  is  my  neck,  cut  it  off.'  "  The  scene  here  described  is 
worthy  of  being  put  upon  canvas,  for  the  instruction  of  all 
Christians  —  a  poor,  hard-working  Armenian  in  the  island 


A   GOSPEL   HERO.  133 

of  Cyprus,  just  emancipated  from  his  blindness,  toiling  in 
his  little  shop,  with  the  Bible  open  before  him,  and  deriving' 
from  it  comfort  and  courage,  and  strength  to  defy  all  that 
the  worst  enemies  of  the  truth  can  do.  —  Miss.  Her.,  18i7, 
p.  151. 

A  GOSPEL  HERO. 

As  an  instance  of  the  unconquerable  firmness  with  which 
the  Gospel  can  inspire  a  regenerated  soul,  just  from  heathen- 
ism, Dr.  Dufi' mentions  the  following,  in  his  "Missionary 
Addresses,"  p.  32.  After  giving  the  particulars  of  the  two 
first  conversions  under  his  labors,  he  says  :  "  The  case  of 
the  third  one  that  was  baptized,  and  who  now  conducts  an 
institution  in  one  of  the  upper  provinces,  was  somewhat 
peculiar,  from  the  trying  circumstances  attending  his  sepa- 
ration from  his  friends.  It  was  about  nine  in  the  evening, 
and  if  any  one  here  has  been  in  that  far  distant  land,  he  will 
know  what  the  external  scene  was,  when  I  tell  him  that  it 
was  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  and  under  the  full  efful- 
gence of  an  Indian  moon,  whose  brightness  almost  rivals 
the  noonday  glory  of  the  sun  in  these  northern  climes. 
Two  or  three  had  resolved,  as  friends,  to  go  along  with 
this  individual,  and  Avitness  a  spectacle  never  before  seen 
by  us,  and,  perhaps,  not  soon  again  to  be  seen  by  Euro- 
peans. It  was  heart-rending  throughout.  Having  reached 
the  outer  door  of  the  house,  the  elder  brother  of  this  young 
man  advanced  towards  him,  and,  looking  at  him  wistfully, 
began  first  to  implore  him,  by  the  most  endearing  terms  as  a 
brother,  that  he  would  not  bring  this  shame  and  disgrace 
upon  himself  and  his  family,  which  was  a  most  respectable 
one.  Again  and  again  did  he  earnestly  appeal  to  him,  by 
the  sympathy,  and  the  tenderness,  and  the  aflection  of  a 
brother.  The  young  man  listened,  and  with  intense  emo- 
tion simply  replied,  '  that  he  had  now  found  out  what  error 
was,  and  that  he  had  now  found  out  what  truth  was,  and 
that  he  was  resolved  to  cling  to  the  truth.'  Finding  that 
this  argument  had  failed,  he  began  to  assert  the  aulhorily  of 
the  elder  brother  —  an  authority  sanctioned  by  the  usages  of 
the  people.  lie  endeavored  to  show  what  power  he  had 
over  him,  if  he  cruelly  brought  this  disgrace  upon  the  iam- 
ily.  The  young  man  still  firmly  replied  :  'I  have  found  out 
what  error  is,  I  have  found  out  what  truth  is,  and  I  have 
resolved  to  cling  unto  the  truth.'  The  brother  next  held  out 
bribes  and  allurements.  There  was  nothhig  that  he  was 
12 


134  SINCERITY   AND    FIRMNESS    OF   CONVERTS. 

not  prepared  to  grant.  There  was  no  indulgence  whatever 
wliich  he  would  not  allow  him  in  the  very  bosom  of  tlie  fam- 
ily,—  indulgences  absolutely  prohibited,  and  regarded  as 
abhorrent,  to  the  Hindoo  system,  —  if  he  would  only  stop 
short  of  the  rash  and  awful  step  of  baptism,  the  public 
sealing  of  his  foul  and  flital  apostasy.  The  young  man  still 
resolutely  adhered  to  his  simple  but  emphatic  declaration  ! 

"  It  was  now,  when  every  argument  had  finally  failed,  that 
his  aged  mother,  who  had  all  the  while  been  present 
within  hearing,  though  we  knew  it  not,  raised  a  hoiol  of 
agony  —  a  yell  of  horror,  which  it  is  impossible  for  imagina- 
tion to  conceive.  It  pierced  into  the  heart,  and  made  the 
very  flesh  creep  and  shiver.  The  young  man  could  hold  out 
no  longer.  He  was  powerfully  affected,  and  shed  tears. 
With  uplifted  arms,  and  eyes  raised  to  heaven,  he  forcibly 
exclaimed,  'No,  I  cannot  stay!'  And  this  was  the  last 
time  he  ever  expected  to  hold  converse  with  his  brethren 
and  his  mother. 

"  I  could  not  help  feeling  then,  and  have  often  thought 
since,  how  wonderful  is  the  power  of  truth  !  —  how  sover- 
eign is  the  grace  of  God !  If  it  be  said  that  the  Hindoo 
character  is  griping  and  avaricious,  divine  grace  is  stronger 
still,  and  is  able  to  conquer  it.  If  it  is  yielding  and  fickle, 
—  ay,  fickle  as  the  shifting  quicksands,  divine  grace  can  give 
it  consistency  and  strength.  If  it  is  feeble  and  cowardly 
divine  grace  can  make  the  feeble  powerful,  and  convert  the 
coward  into  a  moral  hero.  What  signal  testimony  do  such 
triumphs  bear  to  the  power  of  the  everlasting  Gospel !  " 

THE  CAFFKE  WOMAN'S  EELIGIOM". 

A  Caffre  young  woman,  who  had  embraced  Christianity, 
renounced,  at  the  same  time,  her  heathen  customs  and  dress, 
and  put  on  European  clothing  as  a  sign  of  her  change  of 
religion.  Her  brother,  still  a  heathen,  wanted  her  to  accom- 
pany him  to  a  heathen  dance.  She  resolutely  refused.  He 
thereupon  brought  a  stick,  and  threatened  that  he  would 
compel  her  to  go  with  him.  She  still  refused,  and  he  beat 
her,  tore  off  her  clothes,  and  continued  the  whipping  till  his 
stick  broke.  She  never  faltered,  nor  uttered  a  cr}',  nor  spoke 
a  word  of  reproach.  He  went  to  get  another  stick,  when 
some  native  women  (heathen)  interposed,  thinking  that  she 
had  suffered  enough.  He  then  covered  her  with  some 
heathen  dress,  and  upon  this  she  wept  and  sobbed  bitterly, 
as  though  she  was  returned  back  to  heathenism.     "  Why 


A   CHRISTIAN   HEROINE.  135 

didn't  you  cry  before  ? "  said  her  brother.  "When  I  beat 
you,  you  were  silent;  now  I  dress  you,  you  weep."  Some 
time  rolled  by,  and  the  brother  came  again  to  visit  her.  lie 
would  not  enter  the  hut,  being  probably  ashamed  of  his 
conduct,  and  afraid  he  should  meet  with  reproach.  But  he 
quite  mistook  her  disposition  ;  he  had  not  learned  Christi- 
anity. She  knew  how  to  forgive  ;  she  went  out  and  met 
him  at  the  entrance,  gave  him  her  hand,  and  with  it  a  sister's 
kiss.  That  subdued  him; — such  meekness  and  kindness, 
after  so  much  abuse  and  suffering,  conquered  the  untamed 
Caffre,  and  secured  to  her  henceforth  an  uninterrupted  at- 
tendance upon  the  instructions  of  the  missionary. — 3Iiss. 
Mag.,  1851,  p.  151. 

THE  DISCIPLE  IN"  INDIA. 

Nothing  can  be  more  unjust  than  the  suspicion,  sometimes 
thrown  out,  that  conversions  in  India  are  in  form  only,  and 
not  sincere  and  real.  In  confirmation  of  this,  Mr.  Clarkson, 
in  his  "  India  and  the  Gospel,"  p.  264,  observes,  "  There 
is,  oftentimes,  deep  relative  humiliation,  arising  from  the 
dissolution  of  caste.  No  Enghsh  mind  can  appreciate  the 
mastery  of  pride  and  prejudice  which  a  converted  Brahmin 
must  exercise,  in  order  to  sit  down  with  comfort  at  one 
table,  and  partake  of  food  with  the  lowest  outcast.  The 
sacrifice  of  feeling,  the  subjection  of  every  high  thought  to 
Christ,  is,  in  such  cases,  incalculable  by  any  standard  of 
ours.  Nothing  but  Christian  love  and  evangelical  humility 
could  effect  this.  We  are  repeatedly  called  to  witness  strik- 
ing illustrations  of  their  exercise."  This  testimony  is  im- 
portant, as  showing  that  the  cases  of  Christian  firmness  amid 
the  hottest  fires  of  persecution,  given  in  the  present  volume, 
are  no  other  than  genuine  fruits  of  the  Gospel  and  the  Spirit 
of  God. 

A  CHRISTIAN  HEROINE. 

A  young  Hindoo  ladjs  of  a  high  native  family,  in  Calcutta, 
having  read  the  Scriptures,  and  acquired  a  leaning  towards 
Christianitj'',  was  persecuted  by  her  friends,  and,  for  her 
safety,  was  sent  with  a  female  friend  to  Benares.  She  there 
continued  studying  the  Bible,  and  on  her  return  to  Calcutta 
she  made  known  her  intention  to  embrace  the  Christian 
religion,  and  receive  baptism,  and  proceeded  to  put  herself 
under  the  protection  of  her  Christian  friends.  It  was  so  rare 
a  thing  for  a  Hindoo  lady  of  high  caste  to  take  such  a  step, 


136  SINCERITY   AND    FIRMNESS    OF    CONVERTS. 

that  it  produced  a  great  commotion  in  the  family.  Thi-eats 
and  promises  were  freely  used.  She  was  offered  one 
thousand  pounds  to  return  to  her  Hindoo  friends,  and 
assured  that  she  should  be  treated  with  the  greatest  kind- 
ness. At  the  same  time  she  was  told  that  she  should  be 
subjected  to  every  evil,  even  death  itself,  if  she  refused 
these  offers.  But  she  continued  unmoved  by  all.  She  said 
to  the  relative  who  offered  her  the  tempting  bribe,  "  If  you 
were  to  give  me  ten  millions  of  rupees,  what  good  would 
they  do  me  when  what  I  want  is  the  forgiveness  of  my 
sins,  and  the  salvation  of  my  soul  ?  And,  as  to  your  threat- 
ening to  kill  me,  you  may  do  it,  but  you  cannot  kill  my 
soul."  The  missionary.  Rev.  Mr.  Cuthbert,  describes  this 
Christian  heroine  as  a  lady  of  fine  personal  appearance, 
intelligent,  a  good  writer,  and  something  of  a  poet.  She 
■was  put  under  the  protection  of  the  civil  authorities,  and 
remained  steadfast.  —  Ghurxli  Missionary  Gleaner,  1853, 
p.  39. 

MYAT    KYAU,    THE    BURMAN. 

Myat  Kyau  was  a  signal  instance  of  the  power  and  sover- 
eignty of  divine  grace,  which  chooses  and  moulds  its 
subjects  in  a  wonderful  and  mysterious  manner.  He  was  by 
birth  and  religion  a  Buddhist,  but,  being  of  an  inquiring  and 
thoughtful  mind,  he  entertained  strong  suspicions  that  the 
religion  of  his  ancestors  was  a  baseless  fabric.  He  sought 
for  some  creed  on  which  he  might  more  safely  rest  the 
interests  of  his  soul,  but  he  groped  long  in  darkness.  He 
first  became  the  disciple  of  a  Brahmin  ascetic,  and,  for  two 
or  three  years,  practised  various  austerities  ;  but  he  could 
not  rest  in  these.  He  then  said,  "  There  must  be,  some- 
where, a  revealed  religion  ;  I  will  inquire  of  the  Mohamme- 
dans." He  had  not  then  seen  a  Christian  teacher,  nor 
heard  the  name  of  Christ.  He  went  to  a  mosque,  and  there 
heard  of  "  one  God,  and  Mohammed  his  prophet."  The 
idea  of  one  eternal,  imcreated,  omniscient  Creator  struck 
his  mind  with  great  force.  A  I'ay  had  broke  through  the 
clouds  of  heathenism  upon  his  soul.  He  listened  to  the 
Koran,  hoping  to  find  there  a  system  of  morals  by  which  he 
could  obtain  the  divine  favor.  But  he  was  disappointed, 
and  left  the  mosque,  determined  to  inquire  further  for  a 
revelation  of  this  Eternal  Being.  He  next  went  a  few  times 
to  a  Roman  Catholic  place  of  worship.  There  he  heard  the 
name  of  Christ  as  a  Saviour ;  but  he  was  directed  to  pray 


MYAT  KYAU,  THE  BURMAN.  137 

to  Mary,  and  Peter,  and  the  other  apostles,  and  an  endless 
succession  of  saints.  This  seemed  to  him  but  another  vari- 
ety of  heathenism,  especially  the  worship  of  the  Virgin,  and 
he  said,  "  If  I  must  worship  a  human  being  as  God,  I  would 
rather  worship  Gaudama,  a  man,  than  this  woman  ;  and,  as 
for  Roman  images,  I  cannot  see  that  they  have  any  more 
claim  to  divine  honors  than  Burman  images." 

For  a  long  time  after  this,  Myat  Kyau  was  in  a  depressed 
state  ;  till  at  length  the  troubles  of  war  brought  him  and 
his  family  to  Maulmain,  an  important  station  of  the  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Board,  in  Burmah.  Here  he  became  acquainted 
with  Dr.  Judson,  and  listened  to  his  preaching.  Day  after 
day  he  tarried  at  the  place  of  worship  from  morning  to 
night.  One  prejudice  after  another  was  removed  ;  clouds 
broke  away  from  his  horizon  ;  he  saw  and  fell  the  truths  of 
Christianity  ;  the  Holy  Spirit  had  touched  his  soul  with  his 
quickening  influences.  He  had  discovered  the  pearl  of 
great  price,  and  he  determined,  at  any  cost,  to  secure  it ; 
and  he  soon  found  that  he  must  part  with  all  he  had  to 
obtain  it.  His  family  and  friends  observed  the  change,  and 
their  hatred  of  Christianity  was  aroused.  His  brother  told 
him  plainly  that  he  would  renounce  him  as  a  brother  ;  his 
wife  that  she  would  abandon  him  if  he  was  baptized  ;  his 
two  sons,  and  an  adopted  son,  that  they  would  no  longer 
call  him  father.  They  made  no  ado  when  he  turned  ascetic, 
or  was  about  to  become  a  Mohammedan,  or  a  Roman  Catho- 
lic ;  but  that  he  should  become  a  Christian,  they  could  not, 
and  would  not,  put  up  with. 

He  told  his  trials  to  the  missionary,  but  did  not  waver  in 
his  purpose.  Wife  and  children  were  dear  as  a  right  hand 
or  a  right  eye,  but  Christ  was  the  one  altogether  lovely. 
He  said,  "  If  friends  forsake  me  because  I  adhere  to  Christ, 
I  cannot  discard  him  for  their  sake.  I  will  even  persuade 
them,  if  possible,  to  become  his  disciples.  I  will  pray  for 
them ;  but  I  cannot  follow  them  in  the  way  that  I  know 
leads  to  eternal  deatli."  For  several  months  alter  his  bap- 
tism, he  suffered  all  the  desolation  of  being  cast  out, 
despised,  and  hated,  by  his  dearest  relatives  ;  but,  finally, 
to  his  inexpressible  joy,  and  in  answer,  no  doubt,  to  his 
unceasing  prayers,  his  wife  and  one  of  his  sons,  and  his 
adopted  son,  renounced  idolatry,  and  embraced  the  Christian 
faith. 

Soon  after  his  conversion,  Myat  Kj^au  was  appointed  to 
the  work  of  an  evangelist,  and  his  labors  were  abundant  and 
12* 


138  SINCERITY   AND    FIRMNESS    OP   CONVERTS. 

successful.  There  was  scarcely  a  village  or  hamlet  in  the 
province  of  Maulmain  that  did  not  hear  the  Gospel  from  his 
lips.  He  accompanied  Dr.  Wade  several  years  in  all  his 
labors,  shrinking  from  no  service  or  sufiering. 

Myat  Kyau  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  bringing  to  the 
notice  of  the  missionaries  that  remarkable  people,  the 
Karens,  and  in  commencing  among  them  a  work  which  gave 
them  a  written  language,  and  which  planted  among  them, 
in  his  lifetime,  nearly  a  hundred  churches,  with  some  twelve 
thousand  members.  Being  honored  with  the  office  of  col- 
lector of  the  customs  among  the  Karens,  for  a  large  district, 
under  the  Burman  government,  he  became  acquainted  with 
their  character  and  language  ;  and  he  said  to  Dr.  Wade, 
often,  "  The  Karens  are  not  like  these  Buddhists  ;  they 
have  no  idols,  no  priests,  and,  if  the  teachers  would  go  and 
preach  to  them,  great  numbers  would  listen  and  believe  the 
Gospel."  By  these  remarks  Dr.  Wade  was  induced  to  visit 
one  of  their  villages,  to  see  for  himself.  The  village  deter- 
mined on  was  Don  Yan,  some  twenty  miles  up  the  Salweu. 
Myat  Kyau,  of  course,  accompanied  him.  When  they 
approached  the  place,  the  people  hid  themselves,  fearing 
that  they  were  government  officers  ;  but  they  were  soon 
assured  to  the  contrary,  when  one  of  them  said,  "  Teacher, 
have  3^ou  brought  God's  book  for  the  Karens  ?  Our  ances- 
tors have  taught  us  that  God  once  gave  the  Karens  his 
word,  written  on  leather  (parchment),  but  the  Karens  were 
careless  and  lost  it ;  that  he  gave  it  also  to  the  white  for- 
eigners, who,  by  and  by,  they  said,  would  come  and  give  it 
again  to  the  Karens.  Have  you  brought  it  ?  Will  you 
give  it  to  us  ?  "  Dr.  Wade  replied,  "  Yes,  I  have  brought 
God's  book,  and  wish  to  give  it  to  the  Karens."  A  deeply 
interesting  conversation  took  place  in  regard  to  the  Karen 
language,  &c.,  Myat  Kyau  acting  as  interpreter.  After 
spending  about  two  weeks  in  the  place,  Dr.  Wade  and  his 
coHjpanion  left. 

The  foregoing  events  occurred  in  1834.  In  1854,  Dr. 
Wade  says,  "The  other  day,  after  a  lapse  of  more  than 
hoenty  years,  I  visited  this  place  again.  The  man  and  his 
wife,  in  the  house  where  we  stopped,  were  both  living,  and 
had  become  Christians,  with  ten  out  of  eleven  of  their 
children.  In  the  village  was  a  flourishing  church  of  eight}'- 
six  members." 

Immediately  after  the  first  visit.  Dr.  Wade  commenced, 
with  Myat  Kyau's  aid,  the  work  of  reducing  the  Karen 


PSALM-SINGING   AGAINST   PERSECUTION.  139 

language  to  writing,  which,  in  due  time,  was  accom- 
plished. 

Myat  Kyau  was  eminently  a  j-jvaying  man.  "  When  we 
were  traveUing  by  boat,"  says  Dr.  Wade,  "  as  he  held  the 
helm,  he  would  be  constantly  chanting  in  words  of  prayer 
and  praise.  When  we  had  stopped  for  the  tide,  or  to  cook, 
and  wished  to  go  on  again,  he  would  be  missing,  and  so 
often  that  I  inquired  the  cause,  and  found  that  he  had  been 
in  some  retired  place  praying.  lie  has  been  known  to  con- 
tinue all  night  in  prayer,  without  being  aware  of  the  lapse 
of  time,  till  cock-crowing  reminded  him  that  the  day  was 
breaking.  He  continued  to  go  to  his  zayat  (chapel)  daily 
and  preach,  until  some  time  after  he  became  totally  blind, 
getting  a  child  to  lead  him  ;  and  when  he  was  disabled  from 
going,  by  his  increasing  infirmities,  he  would  still  sit  in  the 
veranda  of  his  house,  and  preach  to  all  he  could  get  to 
listen." 

He  died  a  peaceful  and  happy  death,  though  he  could 
talk  but  little.  He  had  no  dread  or  fear,  but  longed  for  the 
time  of  his  departure,  that  he  might  be  with  Christ,  and 
teacher  Judson,  and  the  whole  assembly  of  the  glorified. 
His  remains  were  followed  to  their  resting-place  by  a  large 
concourse  of  people  of  all  classes,  heathen  and  Christian  ; 
and  among  them  all  his  memory  is  blessed. — Am.  Bap. 
Mag.,  1854,  p.  377. 

PSALM-SINGING   AGAINST    PERSECUTION, 

During  the  bloody  persecutions  which  were  waged  against 
the  Moravians,  about  1724,  and  when  multitudes  were  flee- 
ing from  Moravia,  the  following  circumstance  occurred. 
More  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  brethren  were  assembled 
in  a  house  for  praj^er  and  worship,  when  a  police  officer 
entered  the  room,  having  a  number  of  assistants  Avith  him, 
for  the  purpose  of  arresting  the  praying  people  and  dragging 
them  to  prison.  When  the  armed  posse  entered  the  place 
of  meeting,  the  brethren  began  to  sing,  with  loud  voices, 
the  following  stanza  of  one  of  Luther's  hymns  : 

"  If  the  whole  world  with  devils  swarmed. 

That  threatened  us  to  swallow, 
We  will  not  fear,  for  we  are  armed, 

And  victory  must  follow. 
We  dare  the  devil's  might, 
His  malice,  craft,  and  spite  ; 


140  SINCEKITY   AND   FIRMNESS   OF   CONVERTS. 

Though  he  may  us  assail, 
He  never  shall  prevail. 

The  word  of  God  shall  conquer." 

The  officer  commanded  silence,  but  they  kept  on  singing 
the  verse  over  and  over ;  which  so  confounded  him  that  he 
gave  over,  threw  down  the  books  he  had  collected  and  in- 
tended to  destroy,  and  ran  out  of  the  house.  —  Holmes's  Hist, 
of  the  Brethren,  p.  184. 


HEATHEN  WITHOUT  IDOLATRY. 


NO  GOD. 


It  has  been  often  said  that  every  nation  and  tribe  on 
earth  has  some  God  —  some  object  of  worship.  In  oppo- 
sition to  this  idea,  Rev.  Mr.  Mofiat,  after  some  twenty  years' 
observation  in  South  Africa,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society,  makes  the  following  statements  : 
"  The  situation  of  the  missionary  among  the  Bechuanas  (a 
numerous  and  scattered  tribe  in  the  interior  of  South  Africa, 
north  of  the  Orange  I'iver)  is  peculiar,  differing,  with  slight 
exception,  from  any  among  any  nation  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  lie  has  no  idolatry  to  arrest  his  progress,  and  his 
mind  is  not  overwhelmed  with  the  horrors  which  are  to  be 
found  in  countries  where  idols  and  idol  temples  are  resorted 
to  by  millions  of  devotees.  *  *  lie  seeks  in  vain  to  find 
a  temple,  an  altar,  or  a  single  emblem  of  heathen  worship. 
No  fragments  remain  of  former  days,  as  mementos  to  the 
present  generation  that  their  ancestors  ever  loved,  served, 
or  reverenced  a  being  greater  than  man.  A  profound  silence 
reigns  on  this  awful  subject.  Satan  has  been  too  successful 
in  leading  captive  a  majority  of  the  human  race,  by  an  almost 
endless  variety  of  deities.  But  he  has  employed  his  agency, 
with  fatal  success,  in  erasing  every  vestige  of  religious  im- 
pression from  the  minds  of  the  Bechuanas,  Hottentots,  and 
Bushmen,  leaving  them  without  a  single  ray  to  guide  them, 
or  a  single  link  to  unite  them  to  the  skies.  Thus  the  mis- 
sionary could  make  no  appeal  to  legends,  to  altars,  or  to  an 
unknown  God,  or  to  ideas  kindred  to  those  he  wished  to 
impart.  During  years  of  apparently  fruitless  labor,  I  have 
often  wished  to  find  something,  by  which  I  could  lay  hold 
on  the  minds  of  the  natives,  —  an  altar  to  an  unknown  God, 
the  faith  of  their  ancestors,  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  or 
any  religious   association  ;  but  nothing  of  the  kind  ever 


142  HEATHEN   WITHOUT   IDOLATEY. 

floated  in  their  minds."  They  looked  on  the  sun,  as  Mr. 
Campbell  very  graphically  said,  loith  the  eyes  of  an  ox.  Mr. 
Moffat  argues  this  fact  from  the  language  of  these  people, 
there  being  in  it  nothing  to  indicate  the  existence  of  an  idea 
respecting  God,  or  any  kind  of  worship  or  sacrifice.  Mr. 
Moflfiit  says  :  "I  am  aware  that  the  popular  opinion  is  that 
man  is  a  religious  creature  ;  that,  wherever  he  is  to  be 
found,  there  are  also  to  be  traced  the  impressions,  and  even 
convictions,  of  the  existence  of  a  God.  Such  were  my  own 
views  when  I  left  my  native  land  ;  and,  entertaining  such 
views,  I  persuaded  myself,  or,  rather,  tried  to  persuade  my- 
self, that  I  could  discover  rays  of  natural  light,  innate  ideas 
of  a  Divine  Being,  in  the  most  untutored  savage."  After 
struggling  long  against  his  preconceived  notions,  he  was 
forced  to  the  opposite  conclusion  ;  and  he  quotes  Dr.  Van- 
derkemp  and  Mr.  Campbell,  who  were  familiar  with  that 
field,  as  having  made,  reluctantly,  the  same  admission. 
Mr.  Moffat  adds,  that  the  testimony  of  such  as  have  been 
brought  to  a  knowledge  and  experience  of  the  Christian 
religion,  should  be  decisive  on  this  point ;  and  he  gives  the 
following  out  of  many  examples  that  might  be  quoted. 
The  question  was  asked  an  intelligent  native  convert, 
"How  did  you  feel  in  your  natural  state,  before  hearing 
the  Gospel  ?  How  did  you  feel  upon  retiring  from  private 
as  well  as  public  crimes,  and  laying  your  head  on  the  silent 
pillow  ?  Were  there  no  fears  in  your  breast,  no  spectres 
before  your  eyes,  no  conscience  accusing  you  of  having 
done  wrong,  no  palpitations,  no  dread  of  futurity  ?  "  — 
"No,"  said  he;  "how  could  we  feel,  or  how  could  we 
fear?  We  had  no  idea  that  an  unseen  eye  saw  us,  or  that 
an  unseen  ear  heard  us.  What  could  we  know  beyond  our- 
selves, or  of  another  world,  before  life  and  immortality 
were  brought  to  us  by  the  Word  of  God  ?  "  This  declara- 
tion was  followed  by  a  flood  of  tears,  while  he  added,  "  You 
found  us  beasts,  and  made  us  men."  —  Miss.  Labors  and 
Scenes  in  South  Africa,  p.  243. 

THE  INFIDEL'S  IDEAL  MAW. 

Among  the  instances  of  human  nature  left  wholly  to 
itself,  unbiased  by  any  power  of  religion,  is  that  mentioned 
by  a  missionary  of  the  American  Baptist  Board  in  Burmah. 
In  describing  the  inhabitants  on  an  island  of  the  coast,  he 
says  :  "  Those  modern  infidels  who  dream  of  perfection  if 
they  can  only  wipe  out  -.W  systems  of  religion  might  find  a 


THE    KARENS.  143 

splendid  field  here,  all  cultivated  to  their  hands.  I  am  now 
surrounded  by  about  three  hundred  souls,  men,  Avomen  and 
children,  entirely  free  from  all  religion.  They  have  no  God, 
no  temple,  no  priest,  no  liturgy,  no  holy  day,  no  prayers. 
In  their  domestic  habits  they  are  free  from  all  conventional 
rules.  They  are  very  poor,  too  ;  have  no  house,  no  garden, 
no  cultivated  field,  no  domestic  animals  but  dogs.  I  never 
saw  such  abject  poverty,  such  an  entire  destitution  of  all 
the  comforts  of  life." — Miss.  Her.,  1839,  p.  119. 

THE  KAKEWS. 

The  Karens,  called,  also,  the  wild  men  of  Burmah,  dif- 
fered, when  the  missionaries  found  them,  from  nearly  all 
other  heathens,  in  that  they  had  no  form  of  religion,  and  no 
priests.  They  believed  in  the  existence  of  God,  and  in  a 
future  state,  and  had  some  singular  traditions  or  prophecies, 
among  them,  of  a  brighter  day  that  was  coming,  when 
teachers  would  come  to  them  from  a  distant  land,  and  lead 
them  in  the  way  of  truth.  When,  therefore,  they  first 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  missionaries,  they  said  with  joy, 
"  These  are  the  very  men  we  have  been  so  long  waiting  for 
to  teach  us  the  true  religion."  They  came  in  crowds,  from 
distant  forests  and  mountains,  to  listen  to  the  word  of  life  ; 
and  many  of  them  believed.  Nearly  the  whole  race  have 
since  received  the  Gospel.  They  have  abandoned  their 
wandering  mode  of  life,  and  have  built  a  village,  called,  in 
their  tongue,  Malah,  or  City  of  Love.  Many  other  towns 
have  also  been  built ;  and  the  people  maintain  themselves 
by  regular  industry,  cultivating  the  ground,  and  pursuing 
the  most  necessary  trades.  In  all  Burmah  there  are  about 
one  hundred  and  ten  native  assistants  of  the  Baptist  mis- 
sion, all  but  twenty-six  of  whom  are  of  the  Karen  race. 
Thus  early  and  suddenly  has  a  whole  people  been  converted 
to  Christianity.  —  Daij  Spring,  Aj^ril,  1850. 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  CROSS  PREEMINENT. 


The  fact  usually  quoted,  and,  indeed,  almost  the  only  one 
in  illustration  of  the  truth  indicated  above,  is  that  of  Kay- 
arnak,  the  Greenland  convert,  in  connection  with  the  Mora- 
vian missionaries.  It  has  been  not  a  little  surprising  and 
gratifying  to  find  that  that  is  only  one  of  a  multitude  of 
cases  equally  striking,  and  equally  illustrative  of  the  posi- 
tion which  the  preaching  of  the  cross  ever  has,  and  must 
hold,  in  the  evangelization  of  the  world.  Valuable  and 
essential  as  other  truths  may  be,  this  is  a  doctrine  without 
which  the  heathen  conscience  cannot  be  reached,  nor  any- 
thing like  a  permanent  reformation  effected. 

PRAYER  OF  A  CONVERTED  HINDOO. 

Parbotee  was  a  man  of  title,  a  Brahmin,  and  a  thorough 
devotee  of  the  Hindoo  laws  and  superstitions.  On  first 
hearing  of  the  new  shaster,  or  Bible,  he  was  much  offended  ; 
but  he  was  subsequently  impressed  with  the  truth,  by  the 
ministry  of  Thomas  and  Carey,  confessed  and  forsook  his 
superstitions  and  sins,  and  embraced  the  religion  of  Christ. 
A  prayer  which  he  offered  soon  after,  on  the  eve  of  a  jour- 
ney, was  thought  remarkable  for  its  simplicity  and  fervor, 
and  is  thus  given  by  the  missionaries : 

"I  performed  tlie  rites  of  the  Ganges;  I  called  tliis 
good.  I  worshipped  wood  and  stone  ;  I  called  this  good.  I 
heard  the  shasters  of  men,  that  are  all  false  and  vain  ;  I 
called  this  good.  Lord,  I  am  a  most  wretched  creature  to 
this  day  ;  -1  know  nothing  —  nothing  !  I  have  spent  all  my 
days  in  wickedness,  and  have  not  obtained  the  least  knowl- 
edge of  God.  0,  put  far  from  me  these  e\\\  things  !  0, 
make  them  depart  far  from  me  !     I  have  hearkened  now  to 


THE  African's  remedy.  145 

thy  word  ;  I  will  hear  ihem  no  more.  I  will  not  the  least 
regard  the  idols  of  wood  and  stone  any  more  —  vanity, 
lies  !  Lord,  I  will  hear  no  more  at  all  of  these  shasters  of 
the  Hindoos  ;  they  are  false  and  vain.  Wretched  sinner  ! 
Save  me  !  0,  save,  save,  save  me  !  Give,  give,  0,  give, 
give,  0  Lord  I  Give  me  to  know  —  hell,  what?  —  heaven, 
what  ?  Without  the  blood  of  Christ  I  shall  never  be  saved. 
Without  the  flesh  of  Christ  I  shall  never  live.  Lord,  what 
is  the  meaning  of  this  ?  I  know  not  what  it  is.  How 
can  I  get  the  blood  of  Christ  ?  0,  teach  me  !  I  will  do 
anything  thou  sayest.  Caste!  what?  Home!  what? 
Friends!  what?  Life!  what?  What  is  anything  ?  All  is 
nothing,  but  thee.  I  want  no  money  ;  I  want  nothing  bnt 
thee.  0,  what  a  wretched  sinner  I  am !  0,  tell  me  thy 
way !  0,  tell  me  by  moonshi  ;  tell  me  by  the  shaib 
(missionary).  We  are  going  to  Calcutta.  Many,  many 
wicked  things  are  there.  0,  keep  us  all  while  we  stay 
there  !  0,  that  I  had  but  love  !  0,  that  I  had  but  faith  ! 
0,  that  I  had  forgiveness  !  0,  that  I  had  but  those  things 
which  thy  people  have !  Like  them,  —  0,  give  me  like 
them  !  0  Loi-d,  how  many  evil  things  are  in  my  mind  every 
day  !  I  am  a  wicked,  blasphemous  wretch  !  I  have  shame 
in  me,  —  wicked  shame  before  the  people,  and  wicked  fear 
of  men  !  Far,  0,  far  away  from  me  put  far  away  my  sins  ! 
Forgive  me,  and  teach  me  what  I  shall  do  !  I  will  do  any- 
thing. 0,  that  I  did  but  know  what  to  do  !  0,  give  —  give 
—  give  Lord  !  AVhat  shall  —  what  can  I  do  ?  "  —  Rist.  of 
Bap.  3Iiss.  Soc,  vol.  i.,  p.  26. 

THE  AFRICAIir'S  REMEDY. 

A  native  African  teacher,  as  Rev.  Mr.  Moffat  relates, 
made  the  following  address  to  one  of  his  audiences  :  "  We 
are  all  sick,"  said  he,  "  and  crippled,  and  blind.  This  book," 
holding  the  Bible  in  his  hand,  "  says  so  ;  and  we  know  that 
the  book  is  true,  because  we  feel  it  to  be  verily  the  case. 
Some  have  sickness  in  the  head,  some  in  the  feet,  some  in 
the  heart,  some  in  the  liver,  and  some  have  (he  falling  sick- 
ness! Jesus  Christ  tolls  us  that  all  these  sicknesses  come 
out  of  the  heart.  Does  your  head  ache  ?  Here  is  medicine 
to  heal  it,  and  mend  it,  too,  if  it  be  cracked.  You  know 
when  we  are  sick  in  the  stomach,  we  want  medicine  to 
vomit  up  the  bile.  We  have  all  bile  within  us,  which  makes 
us  loathe  food.  Hei-e  is  medicine  to  cause  us  to  vomit  up 
pride  and  love  of  sin.  Are  you  blind  ?  are  your  eyes  sore  so 
13 


146  DOCTRINE    OF   THE    CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

that  you  cannot  bear  the  light?  Here  is  eye-salve,"  refer- 
ring to  the  text  in  Revelation.  "  We  tell  you  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  light  of  the  world,  but  your  eyes  cannot  bear 
the  light.  Here  is  a  doctor  that  will  open  your  eyes.  Are 
you  crippled  ?  do  you  stagger  and  fall  ?  Here  is  a  staff  to 
hold  you  up.  It  is  an  old  staff  always  new.  All  the  saints 
who  have  gone  to  heaven  have  found  it  to  be  a  good  staff. 
Old  people,  when  they  die,  leave  their  staves  behind  them ; 
but  this  staff  you  take  with  you  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death.  This  book  tells  us  where  we  can  get  all 
these  things,  and  a  multitude  more,  and  all  for  nothing. 
Brethren,  our  fathers  never  saw  a  book  like  this  ;  they 
never  heard  news  like  this." 

AN  INDIAN'S  OFFERING. 

A  missionary  was  once  preaching  to  an  Indian  congrega- 
tion, in  one  of  the  south-western  states,  on  the  subject  of 
Christ  and  him  crucified,  describing  the  scene  of  Gethsem- 
ane,  and  pointing  to  the  unbefriended  sufferer  on  the  cross. 
The  congregation  were  much  affected,  and  soon  a  tall  son 
of  the  forest,  with  tears  on  his  red  cheeks,  approached  the 
pulpit  and  said,  "Did  Jesus  die  for  me  —  die  for  poor  In- 
dian ?  Me  have  no  lands  to  give  to  Jesus  ;  the  white  man 
take  them  away.  Me  give  him  my  dog  and  my  rifle."  The 
minister  told  him  Jesus  could  not  accept  of  those  gifts. 
"  Me  give  him  my  dog,  my  rifle,  and  my  blanket ;  poor  In- 
dian, he  got  no  more  to  give  —  he  give  Jesus  all."  The 
minister  replied  that  Jesus  could  not  accept  them.  The 
poor,  ignorant  child  of  the  forest  bent  his  head  in  sorrow, 
and  meditated.  He  raised  his  noble  brow  once  more,  and 
fixed  his  eye  on  the  preacher,  while  he  sobbed  out,  "  Here  is 
2DOor  Indian  ;  ivill  Jesus  have  him  ?  "  The  Spirit  had  done 
his  work,  and  he  who  had  been  so  poor,  sat  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,  heir  to  the  treasures  of  heaven.  His  offering  was 
that  which  the  poorest  maj"-  make  as  well  as  he,  and  which 
the  richest  must  make.  — Jour,  of  3Iiss.,  April,  1850. 

A  DEVOTEE  LEAVING  ALL. 

Mr.  Smith,  of  the  Baptist  mission  at  Benares,  India, 
relates  an  interview  with  a  Brahmin,  who  was  sitting  and 
moving  his  beads,  with  a  crowd  of  admirers  around  him. 
The  missionary  addressed  this  Brahmin,  instructing  him 
respecting  the  love  of  Christ  towards  sinners  ;  at  wliich  he 
appeared  much  affected,  and  said,  "  0,  sir,  do  take  me  with 


THE   FOUR   KINGS.  147 

you,  and  instruct  me  more  in  the  way  of  salvation,  for  I 
have  not  seen  any  way  of  salvation  in  the  Hindoo  religion." 
He  was  told  that  he  miglit  follow  if  he  wished  to  ;  and  im- 
mediately the  Brahmin  arose  before  the  multitude,  gathered 
up  his  things,  and  followed  the  missionary,  to  the  amaze- 
ment of  the  crowd,  who  said  he  was  mad.  —  Eng.  Baptist 
Miss.  Her.,  April,  1819. 

THE    FOUR  KINGS. 

In  January,  1840,  Rev.  Wm.  Gill,  of  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society,  gave  some  account  of  the  progress  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  the  South  Sea  Islands,  and  particularly  in  the  island 
of  Rarotonga.  Auxiliary  missionary  societies  had  been 
formed  in  several  islands,  and  a  meeting  was  called  in  Raro- 
tonga for  the  same  purpose.  Contributions  poured  in  from 
men,  women,  and  children,  in  the  form  of  arrow-root,  fowls, 
baskets,  sea-shells  by  the  poor  children,  breast-ornaments, 
ear-drops,  and  other  heathen  finery,  besides  a  considerable 
sum  of  money.  Many  speeches  were  made  by  the  natives, 
and  one  by  an  old  man,  who  in  the  da,js  of  his  heathenism 
seldom  appeared  without  human  flesh  hanging  to  his  hook! 
He  said  he  had  "lived  to  behold  new  and  wonderful  things 

—  the  gathering  together  of  the  people  to  send  the  word 
of  the  true  God  to  the  heathen.  Formerly,"  he  said,  "we 
used  to  assemble,  but  it  was  either  to  plan  attacks  of  mur- 
der, or  to  flee  from  attacks  made  by  the  enemy  ;  but  now 
the  darkness  has  fled,  and  the  true  light  has  shone  upon  us 

—  Jesus  the  Lord  from  heaven.  The  spears  of  our  wars 
are  lost,  and  we  have  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  We  bring 
with  us  our  wives  and  our  children,  and  we  feel  that  our 
hearts  are  filled  with  love  one  towards  another.  We  not 
only  love  those  of  our  settlement,  but  we  love  all,  and  we 
meet  to  show  our  love  to  those  who  are  as  we  were,  having 
no  God  and  no  hope.  This  is  a  wonderful  event."  Another 
old  man  said,  "  I  have  lived  during  the  reign  of  four  kings. 
Li  the  first  I  was  but  young  ;  we  were  continually  at  war, 
and  a  fearful  season  it  was.  During  the  reign  of  the 
second  we  were  overtaken  with  a  severe  famine,  and  all 
expected  to  perish.  Then  we  ate  rats,  and  grass,  and  this 
wood,  and  the  other  wood,  and  many  other  unmentionable 
things.  During  the  third  we  were  conquered,  and  became 
the  peck  and  prey  of  the  two  other  settlements  of  the  island. 
Then,  if  a  man  went  to  fish,  he  rarely  ever  returned,  or  if  a 
woman  went  any  distance  to  fetch  food,  she  was  rarely  ever 


148  DOCTRINE    OF   THE    CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

seen  again.  Then  wc  were  visited  by  another  King  —  a 
fourth  King  —  a  great  King  —  a  good  King  —  a  powerful 
King  —  a  King  of  love  —  Jesus  the  Lord  from  heaven  !  He 
has  gained  the  victory  —  he  has  conquered  our  hearts  ;  we 
are  all  his  subjects  ;  therefore  we  now  have  peace  and  plenty 
in  this  world,  and  hope  soon  to  dwell  with  him  in  heaven." 
—  London  Miss.  3Iag.,  1841,  p.  Y. 

WANTING  TO    CONFESS, 

Not  many  years  ago,  as  a  lady  was  sitting  in  the  veranda 
of  her  Burmese  house,  a  jungle  boy  came  bounding  through 
the  opening  in  the  hedge  which  served  as  a  gate-way, 
and,  approaching  her,  inquired  with  eagerness,  "Does 
Jesus  Christ  live  here  ?  "  He  was  a  boy  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  his  hair  matted  with  filth,  and  bristling  in 
every  direction  like  the  quills  of  a  porcupine,  and  a  dirty 
cloth  of  plaided  cotton  disposed  in  a  most  slovenly  man- 
ner about  his  person.  "Does  Jesus  Christ  live  here?" 
he  asked,  as  he  hastened  up  the  steps  of  the  veranda,  and 
crouched  at  the  lady's  feet.  "  What  do  you  want  of  Jesus 
Christ  ?  "  she  asked.  —  "I  want  to  see  him  ;  I  want  to  con- 
fess to  him."  —  "Why,  what  have  you  been  doing,  that 
you  want  to  confess?"  —  "Does  he  live  here?"  he  con- 
tinued, with  great  emphasis;  "I  want  to  know  that.  Do- 
ing? why,  I  tell  lies,  I  steal,  I  do  everything  bad.  I  am 
afraid  of  going  to  hell,  and  I  want  to  see  Jesus  Christ,  for 
I  heard  one  of  the  Loogyees  say  that  he  can  save  us  from 
hell.  Does  he  live  here?  0,  tell  me  "where  I  can  find 
Jesus  Christ!  "  —  "  But  he  does  not  save  people  from  hell  if 
they  continue  to  do  wickedly."  —  "  I  want  to  stop  doing 
wickedly,"  said  the  inquirer;  "but  I  can't  stop;  I  don't 
know  how  to  stop.  The  evil  thoughts  are  in  me,  and  the 
bad  deeds  come  of  evil  thoughts.  What  can  I  do  ?  "  — 
"  Nothing  but  to  come  to  Christ,  poor  boy,  like  all  the  rest 
of  us,"  the  lady  softly  murmured  ;  but  she  spoke  this  last 
in  English,  so  the  boy  only  raised  his  head  with  a  vacant 
"  B-ha-lai  ?  "  —  "You  cannot  see  Jesus  Christ  now,"  she 
added,  and  was  answered  by  a  sharp,  quick  cry  of  despair, 
"  But  I  am  his  humble  friend  and  follower,"  said  the  lady, 
at  which  the  face  of  the  little  listener  brightened,  and  she 
continued:  "He  has  commissioned  me  to  teach  all  those 
who  wish  to  escape  from  hell,  how  to  do  so."  The  joyful 
eagerness  depicted  in  the  bo3''s  countenance  was  beyond 
description.     "  Tell  me,  0  tell  me  !     0)i!y  ask  j^our  master, 


CHRIST   MORE   THAN   KRISHNA.  149 

the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  save  me,  and  I  Avill  be  your  ser- 
vant for  life  !  Do  not  be  angry  !  Do  not  send  me  away  1 
I  want  to  be  saved  !  Save  me  from  hell  !  "  The  next  day 
this  boy  was  introduced  to  the  little  bamboo  school-house, 
in  the  character  of  the  wild  Karen  boy  ;  and  such  a  g-reedy 
seeker  after  truth  and  holiness  had  been  seldom  seen. 
Every  day  ho  came  to  the  white  teachers  to  learn  something 
more  concerning  the  Lord  Jesus  and  the  way  of  salvation  ; 
and  every  day  his  feelings  enlarged,  and  his  face  gradually 
lost  its  look  of  indescribable  stupidity.  He  was  at  length 
baptized,  and  commemorated  the  love  of  that  Saviour  he 
had  so  earnestly  sought.  He  lived  a  while  to  testify  his 
sincerity,  and  died  in  joyful  hope.  He  had  "confessed," 
and  had  found  a  deliverer  from  those  sins  from  which  he 
could  not  free  himself.  The  lady  died  also,  and  she  and  the 
wild  Karen  boy  have  met  in  the  presence  of  their  common 
Redeemer.  —  Church  Miss.  Gleaner,  1852,  p.  93. 

"THE  GOD  OF  MY  CHILD." 

A  Hindoo  came  to  a  missionary,  begging  to  be  taught  the 
religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  "  Why  do  you  wish  this  ?  "  said 
the  missionary.  —  "Because,"  said  he,  "I  lately  became 
ill,  and  when  I  was  so  weak  and  sick  that  I  did  not  think  I 
could  ever  get  well  again,  I  remembered  the  peace,  the  pa- 
tience, and  even  the  joy,  that  shone  from  the  face  of  my 
child  before  she  died.  Ah !  said  I  to  myself,  that  child 
believed  in  Jesus  Christ.  There  must  be  something  very 
good  in  this  belief,  since  it  can  make  people  so  happy  and 
peaceful,  even  when  they  feel  that  they  are  dying.  And 
so  I  have  come,  and  I  wish  to  be  taught  about  your  God 
and  the  God  of  my  child."  —  Juv.  Hiss.  3Iag. 

CHRIST  MORE  THAN"  KRISHNA. 

The  following  impressive  testimony  to  the  truth  and  puri- 
fying power  of  the  Gospel  was  given  by  a  converted  Hin- 
doo named  Gungram,  and  is  related  by  Rev.  Mr.  Clarkson, 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  in  the  3Iissionary  Maga- 
zine for  April,  1853.  Addressing  his  countrymen,  he  said, 
"  We  do  not  want  you  to  receive  what  we  ofler  on  our  mere 
word.  We  have  tried  the  power  of  this  medicine  for  the 
sin  of  the  world,  and,  having  found  it  effectual  to  ourselves, 
oflier  it  to  you.  Look  at  me  :  I  was  formerly  a  great  liar  — 
was  always  deceiving  and  telling  lies  in  my  trade.  I  was 
also  little  conscious  that  in  doing  so  I  was  committing  great 
13* 


150  DOCTEINE    OF   THE    CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

sin.  This  word  came  to  me.  As  I  received  it  and  under- 
stood it,  I  learned  to  hate  lying.  Still  1  did  not  at  once 
abandon  it,  as  the  habit  was  so  strong.  But  as  I  learned 
still  more  and  more,  and  prayed  more  and  more,  and  knew 
the  death  of  Christ  for  sin  more  and  more  thoroughly,  I  was 
enabled  to  leave  oft'  the  sin.  I  do  not  say  that  1  am  as  yet 
free  from  sin  ;  but  this  I  say,  that  if  1  lie  I  sincerely  repent 
of  it,  and  am  made  very  imhappy  till  I  have  obtained  par- 
don. And  so,  likewise,  with  other  sins.  I  do  not  say  that 
I  am  perfect ;  but  I  do  say  that  I  have  actually  left  ofi"  those 
sins  which  formerly  I  practised,  so  that  if  I  were  to  do 
what  is  sinful  I  should  be  rendered  miserable.  Now,  I 
never  learned  purity  from  reading  about  Krishna's  wicked 
conduct,  as  recorded  in  the  shasters.  I  never  learned  to 
hate  any  sin,  from  all  my  knowledge  of  the  gods  of  India  ; 
but  from  this  word  —  the  word  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour 
of  sinners,  who  died  for  us  —  I  have  learned,  and  hope  to  go 
on  learning,  till  I  shall  be  taken  away  from  sin  altogether." 
Mr.  Clarkson  asks,  "  Was  it  not  worth  while  crossing  the 
Atlantic  and  Indian  oceans,  to  hear  such  genuine  testimony 
from  an  intelligent  native  ?  Verily,  I  did  rejoice,  and  will 
yet  rejoice." 

BUT  ONE  WAY. 

An  intelligent  Hindoo  came  one  day  to  inquire  of  the 
missionary  concerning  the  word  which  he  had  heard 
preached.  He  said  he  then  heard,  for  the  first  time, 
the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  was  convinced 
that  this  was  the  true  way.  He  had  been  on  pilgrimage, 
he  said,  done  penance,  heard  the  shasters,  and  gone  through 
all  the  fooleries  of  Ilindooism,  but  had  yet  found  no  remedy 
for  the  disease  which  he  wished  to  cure.  He  desired  to 
hear  the  word  of  God  daily,  as  the  missionaries  preached  it, 
that  he  might  know  the  right  way.  —  3fiss.  Her.,  February, 
1834. 

IMPORTAKT    TESTIMONY. 

Rev.  William  Clarkson,  many  years  missionary  in  India, 
makes  the  following  important  statements  in  his  India  and 
the  Gospel,  p.  185.  He  says  :  "  We  would  vindicate,  in 
the  most  absolute  sense,  the  entire  comprehensibility  of  the 
Gospel  by  the  most  untutored  Hindoo.  The  Gospel  is 
adapted  to  him,  not  as  he  is  to  be,  or  might  be,  but  as  he  is. 
We  would  disclaim  every  demand  for  a  preparatory  process 
as  necessary  to  the  comprehension  of  the  Gospel.  We  say, 
with  emphasis,  that  the  Gospel,  in  the  hands  of  the  evan- 


EXPERIENCE   OF   THE   MORAVIANS.  151 

gelist,  'apt  to  teach,'  ready  to  explain  it  by  suitable  illus- 
trations, and  consequently  able  to  touch  the  springs  of  con- 
science, is  alone  effectual  to  the  end  of  conversion.  We  ask 
for  education,  but  not  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  Gospel ; 
we  believe  the  Gospel  makes  a  way  for  itself.  We  say,  with 
confidence,  that  the  aboriginal  of  India's  mountains  and 
forests,  who  never  saw  a  written  character,  is  fully  compe- 
tent to  understand  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Gospel. 
The  following  incident  will  illustrate  these  remarks.  I  had 
pitched  my  tent  on  the  banks  of  the  Mye,  amongst  the 
Kolis,  an  aboriginal  tribe,  reputed  by  Montgomery  Martin 
'savage  and  irreclaimable.'  I  preached  day  after  day,  the 
doctrines  of  repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  These  doctrines  I  illustrated  in  every  way 
I  thought  adapted  to  reach  the  consciences  of  the  people. 
One  day,  after  addressing  them  on  these  subjects,  I  asked 
them,  '  Do  any  of  you  weep  on  account  of  your  sins  ?  '  To 
my  utter  deUght,  a  young  Koli-,  about  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  a  farmer,  said  with  considerable  feeling,  '  I  weep  on  ac- 
count of  my  sins.  Ah  !  my  eyes  do  not  weep,  but  my  soul 
weeps  on  account  of  my  sins.'  I  replied,  '  If  so,  what  do 
you  wish  to  do  ? '  He  said,  '  To  believe  in  Jesus  Chi'ist.'  — 
'  What  do  you  know  of  Jesus  Christ  ?'  asked  I,  with  intense 
interest.  — '  I  know  that  he  died  for  my  sins.'  This  Koli  had 
never  heard  the  Gospel  but  from  me,  and  had  only  listened 
to  me  for  two  or  three  times.  Probably  he  had  not  heard 
me  speak  more  than  four  hours  altogether.  That  man  was 
baptized,  and  is  a  consistent  believer  at  the  present  time." 

EXPEEIENCE  OF  THE  MORAVIANS. 

In  June,  ItSS,  Rev.  John  Beck,  a  Moravian  missionary 
in  Greenland,  was  translating  some  parts  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, when  the  natives  expressed  a  wish  to  know  the  sub- 
ject on  which  he  was  writing.  He  read  a  portion  of  the 
Scripture  to  them,  and  gave  a  concise  account  of  the  crea- 
tion of  the  world,  the  fall  of  man,  and  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion as  effected  by  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  In  discoursing 
on  the  latter  point,  he  was  enabled  to  speak  with  peculiar 
affection  and  pathos.  He  then  read  to  them,  from  the  Gospel 
of  St.  Luke,  the  history  of  Christ's  agonj'  in  the  garden. 
AVhen  ho  had  ceased,  one  of  the  company  named  Kayarnak, 
stepped  up  to  the  table,  and  in  an  earnest  manner  exclaimed, 
"  llow  was  that  ?  Tell  me  that  once  more,  fur  I  do  desire  to 
be  saved."     Expressions  like  these  had  never  before  been 


152  DOCTRINE   OF   THE    CEOSS   TRE-EMINENT. 

heard  from  a  Greenlander,  although  five  years  of  missionary 
labor  had  been  performed  among  them,  and  Mr.  Beck,  with 
emotions  of  indescribable  joy,  endeavored  to  set  before  his 
auditors  the  principal  scenes  in  the  life  and  death  of  Christ, 
and  to  explain  the  way  of  salvation  through  him.  The  other 
brethren  also  joined  in  testifying  of  the  preciousness  of 
Christ  as  a  Saviour  ;  and,  while  a  few  disliked  the  subject, 
and  withdrew  secretly,  others  placed  their  hands  on  their 
mouths  in  token  of  astonishment,  and  earnestly  solicited 
that  they  might  bo  taught  to  pray.  The  desire  which  they 
manifested  for  religious  instruction  was  such  as  had  never 
before  been  witnessed  in  Greenland;  and,  when  the  people 
dispersed,  they  promised  to  come  again,  and  to  make  their 
countrymen  acquainted  with  the  wonderful  things  they  had 
heard.  The  effect  did  not  pass  away,  for  Ka3\arnak  and  his 
family  became  sincere  Christians,  and  were  admitted  to  the 
church.  On  his  death-bed,  in  1741,  Kayarnak  exhibited 
great  calmness  and  jDcace,  and  said  to  his  afflicted  relatives, 
"  Why  do  you  weep  on  my  account  ?  Are  you  not  aware 
that  when  believers  die  they  go  to  Jesus  and  become  par- 
takei's  of  everlasting  joy  ?  As  I  was  the  first  of  our  nation 
who  Avas  converted  by  his  grace,  he  has  determined  that  I 
should  be  the  first  to  enter  into  his  presence.  lie  knows 
how  to  provide  for  you  in  my  absence  ;  and,  if  you  remain 
faithful  to  the  end,  we  shall  surely  meet  again,  and  rejoice 
forever  before  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb."  —  Mora- 
vian Journal,  Library  of  Am.  Board. 

A  NOBLE    DEFENCE. 

The  utter  insuflSciency  of  false  systems  to  meet  man's 
spiritual  wants,  and  the  perfect  adaptation  of  the  Gospel  to 
this  end,  are  illustrated  in  the  case  of  a  native  of  Madras, 
in  Southern  India,  who  was  converted  under  the  labors  of 
missionaries  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society.  lie  was 
of  high  caste,  and  a  man  of  distinction,  named  Tambrian  ; 
and,  on  being  arrested  for  the  crime  of  embracing  Chris- 
tianity, he  put  on  his  heathen  robes,  only  that  he  might  be 
identified  at  the  office  as  the  head  of  his  order,  and  nobly 
said,  "Sir,  I  am  a  man  well  known  in  JMadras,  having  re- 
sided in  this  city  since  1824.  I  was  born  in  the  province 
of  Tanjore.  I  was  united  when  very  young  to  the  sect  of 
Siva,  in  whose  robes  I  appear  before  you  this  day.  For 
many  years  I  was  engaged  in  travelling,  by  way  of  Delhi 
and  other  great  cities,  to  the  holy  places  of  the  Hindoos. 


"did  doorga  die  for  sinners?"  153 

I  dwelt  three  years  at  Casi,  in  Bengal;  thence  I  travelled 
along-  the  coast  to  Madras,  by  way  of  Juggernaut.  I  vis- 
ited all  the  holy  places  in  the  south  of  India,  and  went  by 
way  of  Raniiseram  to  Ceylon, — visited  Manaar,  Colombo, 
Kandy,  the  holy  place  called  Katteragam,  on  the  east  side 
of  Ceylon,  and  returned  by  Batticaloe,  Trincomale,  and 
Jaffna,  to  the  continent.  Fifty  years  of  my  life  have  been 
thus  spent.  I  sought  all  heathen  books,  hut  found  nothing 
for  the  soul.  I  have  taught  many  hundred  disciples,  as  you 
know  (for  the  magistrate  knew  him  well,  and  congratxdated 
the  missionary  on  having  such  a  convert).  I  found  nothing 
in  heathen  books,  in  heathen  temples,  in  heathen  ceremo- 
nies, to  sati!fy  tJie  soul.  I  met  witfi  this  minister  (pointing 
to  the  missionary,  Mr.  Carver),  and  he  opened  to  my  under- 
standing the  way  of  salvation,  the  treasure  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. They  suited  my  dissatisfied  heart.  I  went  again 
and  again  to  the  missionary;  I  determined  to  abandon  hea- 
thenism. By  heathenism  I  got  money  in  abundance,  and 
honor.  I  was  worshipped  by  my  disciples  ;  but  my  soul 
shrunk  back  at  the  blasphemy  against  the  God  of  whom  I 
had  heard.  I  knew  not  how  to  escape  from  my  heathen 
friends  and  disciples,  who  were  about  me  on  every  side, 
when  this  minister,  sir  (looking  at  the  magistrate  with 
great  respect  and  firmness),  —  this  minister,  sir,  offered  rae 
an  asylum,  a  place  in  the  mission  premises.  There,  sir,  I 
went  of  my  own  free  choice.  There  I  was  when  the  heathen 
made  the  violent  attempt  to  carry  me  away  by  force.  There 
I  wish  to  remain,  and  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus  ;  to 
teach  others  also  of  this  Saviour,  as  some  little  attempt  to 
remedy  the  evils  of  having  taught  so  many  heathen  disci- 
ples a  false  way  in  times  past."  Having  thus  "answered 
for  himself,"  he  was  released  from  custody,  and  allowed  to 
pursue  his  chosen  way. —  Miss.  Her.,  Maixh,  1838. 

"DID  DOORGA  DIE  FOR  SINNERS?" 

On  the  29th  of  Dec,  1800,  Mr.  Carey  wrote,  "Yesterday 
was  a  day  of  great  joy.  I  had  the  happiness  to  desecrate 
the  Gunga,  by  baptizing  the  first  Hindoo,  namely,  Krishno, 
and  my  son  Felix.  Krishno  was  distinguished  for  his  piety 
and  good  sense.  Being  met  by  a  European  in  the  street, 
and  asked  what  good  he  got  by  his  profession  of  Christian- 
ity, he  answered,  that  '  he  got  nothing  but  much  joy  and 
comfort ;  it  was  the  work  of  love.'  He  was  sorely  perse- 
cuted by  the  Brahmins.      His  daughter,  Golok,  embraced 


154  DOCTRINE    OF   THE    CROSS    PRE-EMINENT. 

Christianity,  and  was  forcibly  seized  and  carried  away  by 
her  idolatrous  husband.  As  he  was  urging  her  along  and 
beating  her,  she  cried  aloud,  in  passing  a  police  station,  '  I 
have  heard  of  the  love  and  sufferings  of  Ckrisl ;  these  things 
have  laid  hold  of  my  mind  ;  1  have  become  a  Christian  from 
choice,  and  am  not  willing  to  go  with  this  man.'  Krishno's 
method  with  the  heathen  around  him  is  thus  described. 
A  man  says,  '  Well,  Krishno,  you  have  left  off  all  the  cus- 
toms of  your  ancestors,  —  what  is  the  reason  V  lie  replies, 
'  Only  have  patience,  and  1  will  inform  you.  I  am  a  great 
sinner.  I  tried  the  Hindoo  worship,  but  got  no  good. 
After  a  while  1  heard  of  Christ,  —  that  he  was  incarnate, 
labored  much,  and  at  last  laid  down  his  lile  for  sinners.  I 
thought,  what  love  is  this  !  And  here  1  made  my  resting- 
place.  Now  say,  if  anything  like  this  love  was  ever  shown 
by  any  of  your  gods  ?  Did  Doorga,  or  Kalee,  or  Krishna, 
die  for  sinners  ?  You  know  that  they  only  sought  their 
own  ease,  and  have  no  love  for  any  one.'  Self-prompted, 
Krishno  erected  a  house  for  God  immediately  opposite  to 
his  own.  This  was  the  first  native  place  of  worship  in 
Bengal."  —  Hist.  Bap.  Miss.  Sac,  vol.  vi.,  p.  69. 

"TWO  WOKDS    OVEBCOME." 

The  simple-hearted  Christians  of  Caffre  land  have  exhib- 
ited some  beautiful  traits  of  character  since  coming  under 
the  power  of  the  Gospel.  The  missionary,  Rev.  Mr.  Calder- 
wood,  relates  that  on  calling  for  a  collection  in  behalf  of  a 
charitable  object,  a  poor  widow  came  forward  with  fifteen 
shillings  in  her  hand.  He  was  afraid  to  take  it,  and  hinted 
that  it  was  too  much.  She  replied,  "The  Lord  has  done 
much  for  me."  She  soon  brought  five  shillings  more,  say- 
ing, "Her  heart  would  not  let  her  rest  till  she  had  made  up 
the  pound."  On  the  same  occasion,  the  missionary  said  to 
a  native  teacher,  who  was  very  poor,  "I  don't  think  you 
can  do  much  more  than  you  now  do."  "  His  reply,"  says 
the  missionary,  "entered  deeply  into  my  soul."  He  said, 
"  Two  words  overcome  ;  one  is,  '  Ye  are  redeemed,  not  with 
corruptible  things,  as  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish.'  1  see,"  he 
added,  "that  bucks  die,  horses  die,  cows  die,  all  earthly 
things  die,  but  God  has  redeemed  us  with  something  far 
more  precious  than  these.  God  has  done  great  things  for 
us  ;  /  must  try.  The  other  word  is,  '  What  is  a  man  prof- 
ited if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ? ' 


TSCHOOP,   THE   INDIAN.  155 

I  see,"  said  he,  "  the  soul  is  indeed  iprec\ous,  — I  must  tiy." 
Such'  signs  of  religious  life  and  intelligence  among  the 
Caff'res,  but  lately  regarded  as  more  degraded  than  any- 
other  people  on  earth,  show  that  none  are  past  hope  who 
can  be  reached  by  the  Gospel. —io«(/on  3Iiss.  Mag.,  1846, 
p.  10. 

A  GOOD  RESOLVE. 

At  a  synod  of  Moravian  Brethren,  held  at  Quitopehill 
(probably  in  Pennsylvania),  in  1U8,  it  was  resolved,  "To 
continue  to  preach  nothing  to  the  heathen  (Indians)  but 
Jesus  and  him  crucified,  repeating  the  same  testimony  of 
his  Gospel,  till  the  hearts  of  the  heathen  are  awakened  to 
believe  ;  being  fully  convinced  that  the  power  of  the  cross 
is  the  word  of  God,  which  alone  is  able  to  bring  souls  from 
darkness  to  light ;  and  that  the  missionaries  should  never 
reject  any  heathen,  not  even  the  most  abandoned  and  profli- 
gate, but  consider  them  as  persons  to  whom  the  grace  of 
Jesus  Christ  ought  to  be  ofiered." 

"IS  ALL  THIS   TKUE?" 

A  Hindoo,  in  Northern  India,  who  had  heard  a  catechist, 
and  become  somewhat  impressed,  was  put  under  religious 
instruction,  and  made  good  progress  in  the  knowledge  of 
Christian  doctrine.  He  manifested  great  abhorrence  of  his 
former  heathen  practices,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  receive 
baptism.  When  the  catechist  read  to  him  the  account  of 
the  jailer's  conversion,  he  wept  much,  and  said,  "  0,  sir,  I 
am  a  great  sinner  ;  no  one  can  tell  the  number  of  my  sins  I  " 
On  another  occasion,  when  the  catechist  read  to  him  and 
explained  the  Saviour's  sufferings  and  death,  he  expressed 
great  surprise,  and  said,  "  0,  sir,  is  all  this  true  ?  Is  it  true 
that  Jesus  died  for  all  sinners  ?  Is  it  true  that  he  died  for 
me  ?  "  The  catechist  replied,  "  It  is  true."  "  Then,"  said 
he,  "  I  have  great  joy  in  my  heart ;  this  is  indeed  a  great 
salvation  !  "  When  the  missionary  asked  him,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  his  baptism,  what  was  the  principal  thing  that  struck 
his  mind  in  our  religion,  after  thinking  a  short  time,  he  re- 
plied, "The  chief  thing  is,  ihat  Jesus  died  and  rose  again!" 
—  Am.  Miss.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  19. 

TSCHOOP,   THE  INDIAN". 

In  1T39,  Christian  Henry  Ranch,  a  Moravian  missionary, 
.  was  sent  to  the  Indians  in  North  America,  particularly  to 


156  DOCTRINE   OF   THE   CROSS   PRE-EMINENT, 

the  settlements  on  North  River,  N.  Y.  At  first  they  were 
suspicious  of  him,  and  determined  to  kill  him  ;  but,  observ- 
ing how  quietly  he  lived,  and  how  unconcernedly  he  slept 
among  them,  they  said,  "  This  cannot  be  a  bad  man  ;  he 
fears  no  evil,  not  even  from  us  who  are  so  savage."  Hav- 
ing gained  the  confidence  of  the  Indians,  he  preached  to  them 
Christ  Jesus,  and  was  soon  permitted  to  witness  the  bless- 
ing of  God  on  his  labors.  One  case  of  conversion  in  partic- 
ular, that  of  an  Indian  named  Tschoop,  was  recorded  as  very 
striking.  He  had  been  one  of  the  greatest  drunkards  in  his 
tribe,  but  was  completely  reformed  ;  and  in  giving  an  account 
of  his  conversion  he"  said  :  "  I  have  been  a  heathen,  and  have 
grown  old  among  the  heathen  ;  therefore  I  know  how  the 
heathen  think.  Once  a  preacher  came,  and  began  to  tell  us 
there  was  a  God.  We  answered,  saying,  '  Dost  thou  think 
us  so  ignorant  as  not  to  know  that  ?  Go  back  to  the  place 
from  whence  thou  camest.'  Then  another  preacher  came 
to  us,  and  began  to  say,  'You  must  not  steal,  nor  lie,  nor 
get  drunk.'  To  him  we  answered,  '  Thou  fool,  dost  thou 
think  we  do  not  know  that  ?  Go  learn  first  thyself,  and 
then  teach  thy  own  people  to  leave  off  these  practices  ;  for 
who  are  greater  drunkards,  or  thieves,  or  liars,  than  thiue 
own  people  ?  '  Thus  we  dismissed  him.  After  some  time 
brother  Ranch  came  into  my  hut,  and  sat  down  by  me.  He 
then  spoke  to  me  as  follows  :  '  I  am  come  to  you  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  He  sends  to  inform 
you  that  he  will  make  you  happy,  and  deliver  you  from  that 
misery  in  which  you  now  lie.  For  this  purpose  he  became 
a  man,  gave  his  life  a  ransom,  and  shed  his  blood  for  us.' 
When  he  had  finished  his  discourse,  he  lay  down  upon  a 
board,  fatigued  by  his  journey,  and  fell  sound  asleep.  I  then 
thought  with  mj^self,  what  kind  of  a  man  is  this  ?  There 
he  sleeps, —  I  might  kill  him,  and  throw  him  out  into  the 
woods,  and  who  would  regard  it  ?  But  this  gives  him  no 
care  or  concern.  At  the  same  time  I  could  not  forget  his 
words.  They  constantly  recurred  to  my  mind.  Even  when 
I  slept,  I  dreamed  of  that  blood  whicli  Christ  shed  for  us. 
I  found  tliis  to  be  something  diflercnt  from  what  I  had  ever 
heard  before,  and  I  interpreted  Christian  Henry's  words  to 
the  other  Indians.  Thus,  through  the  gi'ace  of  God,  an 
awakening  was  begun  among  us.  I  say,  therefore,  breth- 
ren, preach  Christ  Jesus,  uur  Saviour,  and  liis  sufi'erings  and 
death,  if  you  would  have  your  words  to  gain  entrance  among 
the  heathen."  —  Browii's  History  of  Missions,  vol.  i.,  p.  262. 


EXPERIENCE    OF   A    HINDOO.  157 

"JUST  WHAT  I  HAD   BEEN  SEEKING  FOR." 

A  Hindoo  convert  in  Northern  India,  under  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  in  giving  his  experience,  said,  "To  the 
best  of  my  recollection,  when  I  was  about  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  I  first  felt  that  I  was  a  sinner  and  needed  salvation, 
and,  being  desirous  of  obtaining  the  favor  of  God,  I  made 
long  pilgrimages  to  Kagee,  Ramaishvara,  Tripetty,  Tirna- 
mally,  Madura,  Juggernaut,  Conjeveram,  and  Ramagherry, 
paying  homage  to  the  idols  at  these  places,  and  washing  in 
the  rivers  held  sacred  by  the  heathen.  A  period  of  seven- 
teen years  I  spent  in  following  lies,  seeking  peace  to  my 
troubled  conscience,  but  all  in  vain.  Of  this  time  I  spent 
five  years  in  the  worship  of  Vishnoo,  and  had  my  shoulders 
burnt  with  Chakraukita.  For  seven  years  I  performed  the 
worship  of  Siva.  The  rest  of  the  time  I  spent  in  the  adora- 
tion of  idols  of  my  own  making.  But  I  daily  felt  increase 
of  sorrow  and  trouble  of  conscience  in  consequence  of  find- 
ing that  after  all  my  pains  I  could  not  obtain  peace  of  mind, 
and  that  God  was  not  pleased  to  reveal  himself  to  me. 
While  I  was  in  this  troubled  state  of  mind,  Mr.  Flavel  came 
to  me  one  day,  and  asked  me  why  I  was  taking  so  much 
trouble  in  worshipping  those  lifeless  images  which  I  had 
made  myself  On  my  telling  him  I  wanted  to  find  God,  and 
could  not,  he  invited  me  to  come  to  his  house  the  next  day, 
and  he  would  show  me  a  sure  way.  I  went  to  his  house,  as 
I  promised  to  do,  when  he  spoke  to  me  a  long  time  about 
the  vanity  of  idols,  and  showed  to  me  the  way  of  obtaining 
peace  of  conscience  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  the  Saviour 
of  mankind.  This  was  just  what  I  had  been  seeking  for, 
and  I  felt  great  joy.  I  felt  at  once  the  truth  of  his  arguments 
against  idols,  for  I  had  my  own  experience  to  teach  me  that 
they  could  do  me  no  good.  I  was  so  fully  persuaded  that 
I  had  wasted  my  life  and  strength  in  vanity  and  lies,  that  I 
went  at  once,  after  my  conversation  with  Mr.  Flavel,  and 
broke  the  idols  to  pieces,  aud  threw  the  fragments  into  the 
tank.  I  took  oflF  all  the  marks  of  idolatry  from  my  body, 
and  returned  home  to  my  family,  informing  them  that  I  had 
at  last  found  what  I  was  in  search  of  these  many  years 
back  ;  that  God  had  sent  his  servant  to  teach  me  the  way  of 
happiness,  and  that  I  was  fully  convinced  that  it  was  the 
right  way.  My  relations  were  greatly  provoked  that  I  had 
determined  to  forsake  the  gods  of  our  fathers,  and  they  were 
constantly  persecuting  and  abusing  me.  But  the  Lord  has 
given  me  grace  to  bear  all  patiently.  The  more  1  have  heard 
U 


158  DOCTRINE    OF   THE   CROSS   PRE-EMINEXT. 

the  deeper  have  been  my  convictions  that  I  am  in  the  right 
path.  Peace  of  conscience  I  have  found  from  believing  in 
Christ.  Since  the  time  I  renounced  idolatry  I  have  found 
true  pleasure  in  serving  the  Lord.  I  cast  my  soul  at  his 
feet,  and  look  to  his  sufierings  and  death  for  the  pardon  of 
my  sins  and  my  acceptance  with  God."  —  Hiss.  Herald,  1838, 
p.  390. 

DR.   DUFF'S  METHOD. 

Missionary  labor  and  experience  have  demonstrated  again 
and  again  the  fact,  that  it  is  not  by  any  mere  culture  of  the 
intellect,  nor  by  simply  teaching  the  being  and  attributes 
and  law  of  the  one  God,  that  the  heathen  conscience  is 
reached  and  the  heart  changed,  but  by  the  clear  enforcement 
of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  crucified.  The  testimony  of  Dr. 
Duff  on  this  point  is  of  great  force,  especially  as  he,  more 
than  most  missionaries  in  India,  has  bestowed  attention  upon 
the  educalion  of  Hindoo  youth.  Dr.  Duff  did,  as  he  fully 
explains,  labor  to  enlighten  the  numerous  young  men  under 
his  care,  on  the  existence  of  the  true  God,  and  on  the  evi- 
dences of  revealed  religion  ;  and  he  says,  "  On  the  subject 
of  miracles  these  young  men  night  after  night  brought  for- 
ward the  old  and  now  exploded  arguments  of  Hume  ;  and 
night  after  night,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges  and  for  the 
edification  of  Hindoos,  had  I  to  combat  the  plausible  reason- 
ings and  deductions  of  that  great  but  misguided  man."  But 
he  continues  :  "  The  evidences  in  favor  of  Christianity  as  a 
revelation  from  God,  having  been  admitted  by  several  as 
irresistible,  and  by  others  no  longer  opposed,  we  last  of  all 
came  to  the  grand  terminating  object  of  all  our  labors,  viz., 
the  announcement  of  the  message  itself,  the  full  and  free 
declaration  of  the  essential  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  It  was 
then,  and  then  only,  as  might  have  been  expected,  that  vital 
impressions  began  to  be  made.  Hitherto  we  were  engaged 
in  the  removal  of  obstacles  that  opposed  our  entrance  into 
the  temple  of  truth.  Having  now  reached  the  threshold,  we 
crossed  it  in  order  to  discover  and  admire  the  beauties  of 
the  inner  workmanship.  Hitherto  the  intellect  was  chiefly 
called  into  exercise.  We  had  now  something  suited  to  the 
feelings  and  the  conscience.  Accordingly,  it  was  when 
unfolding,  in  simple  and  absolute  dependence  on  divine 
grace,  the  Scripture  doctrines  of  the  sinfulness,  depravity, 
and  helplessness,  of  human  nature,  that  the  heart  of  the  first 
convert  became  seriously  affected  under  a  sense  of  the  guilt 


A   LABRADOR   CONVERT.  159 

and  vileness  of  sin  ;  and  when  unfolding  the  inexpressible 
love  of  the  divine  Redeemer  to  our  apostate  world,  that 
another  heart  was  touched,  yea,  melted  under  the  display 
of  such  infinite  tenderness.  Thus  it  was  that  the  Gospel 
triumphed;  and  the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  brought  home  to 
the  heart  and  conscience,  and  sealed  by  the  divine  Spirit, 
maintained  its  high  preeminence  as  the  only  antecedent  to 
the  conversion  of  a  soul  to  God."  — Dr.  Duff's  Hiss.  Ad- 
dresses, p.  31. 

"  TELL    ME    THAT    AGAIN." 

The  following  is  one  of  the  numerous  facts  which  go  to 
show  that  no  truth  so  quickly  and  surely  arrests  the  heathen 
mind  as  that  of  Christ  crucified.  A  missionary,  of  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society,  on  riding  into  a  large  bazaar  street, 
in  Southern  India,  one  morning,  soon  found  himself  sur- 
rounded by  a  large  number  of  persons,  with  intelligent, 
smiling  faces,  eager  to  know  what  had  brought  a  white  man 
there.  An  Englishman  was  a  perfect  lion  among  them. 
"  It  was  a  day,"  says  the  missionary,  "  of  incessant  talk- 
ing." They  said,  "  We  have  been  waiting  twelve  years 
for  a  missionary  to  come  among  us,  and  now  you  have 
come,  we  will  not  let  you  go  until  you  promise  to  establish 
a  school  amongst  us."  The  secret  of  their  intelligence  and 
interest  was,  that  they  had  formerly  received  religious 
tracts,  and  had  read  them  with  attention  and  profit.  "  One 
handsome  chitty,"  says  the  writer,  "  greatly  interested  me. 
He  conversed  with  me  for  a  considerable  time,  and  mani- 
fested much  candor.  Speaking  to  him  of  the  forgiveness 
of  sin,  by  Jesus  Christ,  his  mind  struck  in  with  great  eager- 
ness, and  he  said,  '  What  is  that  you  say  ?  Tell  me  that  again ; 
explain  that  to  me;  I  want  to  hear  that  repeated.'  "  —  Lon. 
Miss.  Mag.,  1849,  p.  58. 

A    LABRADOR    COJiTVERT. 

The  first  person  who  was  truly  converted  at  Hopedale,  a 
Moravian  station  in  Labrador,  was  a  woman  who  was  a 
sinner  —  so  notorious,  indeed,  as  to  be  shunned,  even  by 
her  heathen  countrymen.  She  heard,  one  evening,  a  dis- 
course on  the  words,  "  The  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and 
to  save  that  which  was  lost ;  "  and  was  so  struck  with  it, 
that  she  said  to  herself,  "  Can  it,  indeed,  be  true  that  the 
Saviour  came  to  save  even  such  wicked  creatures  as  1  am  ? 
Here  is  none  so  vile  as  II"     She  remained  on  her  seat  in 


160  DOCTRINE    OP   THE   CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

the  chapel,  buried  in  thought,  till  every  one  else  had 
departed  ;  and,  when  reminded  that  she  ought  to  leave  it, 
she  i"an  on  to  the  neighboring  hills,  fell  on  her  knees,  and 
cried  out,  "0,  Jesus!  I  have  been  told  that  thou  earnest 
to  save  even  the  vilest ;  if  this  be  true,  give  me  also  to 
know  it.  Behold,  I  am  the  vilest  of  all,  let  me  also  be 
saved  and  made  happy.  0,  forgive  all  my  sins  !  "  She 
soon  found  peace,  and  returned  to  the  settlement  so  changed 
in  her  whole  being,  as  to  strike  with  wonder  all  who  knew 
her.  So  deep  was  her  sense  of  moral  vileness  that  she  felt 
unfit  for  the  society  of  Christian  people,  and  actually 
remained,  for  the  first  night,  as  an  outcast,  at  the  entrance 
of  the  low  porch  or  gangway  of  one  of  the  Esquimaux 
houses  —  a  place  to  which  the  dogs  are  ordinarily  allowed 
free  access.  —  U.  B.  Miss.  Intel.,  1844,  p.  416. 

THE  OFFENCE  OF  THE  CROSS. 

Says  Rev.  William  Clarkson,  in  his  "  India  and  the  Gos- 
pel," p.  115,  "  There  is  a  doctrine  which,  on  the  battle- 
field of  India,  challenges  an  extraordinary  opposition  from 
all  the  Indian  religionists.  It  is  the  doctrine  of  the  cross. 
This  great  doctrine  kindles  more  enmity,  excites  more  dis- 
cord, rouses  into  energy  more  passion,  than  all  the  other 
doctrines  of  Scripture.  It  is  'the  offence  of  India.'  Fre- 
quently it  is  said,  '  All  you  say  about  the  one  God  is  true 
enough,  and  him  we  ought  to  worship  ;  but  wdiat  have  we 
to  do  with  Christ  ?  Why  do  you  not  give  up  preaching  so 
much  about  him  ? '  The  remark  of  a  Madras  missionarj'^  is, 
we  fear,  too  applicable  to  India  generally  :  '  They  will 
listen  attentively  to  a  discourse  on  the  unity  and  perfections 
of  God  —  authority,  spirituality,  extent  of  the  law,  the  day 
of  judgment,  torments  of  hell,  joys  of  heaven  ;  but  they 
cannot  tolerate  the  cross.  At  the  name  of  Jesus,  their  lip 
curls  with  contempt,  their  G\e  flashes  with  rage,  and  their 
mouth  is  filled  with  blasphem3\'  Such  objections  as  the 
following  are  urged,  '  Has  not  our  God  likewise  become 
incarnate  again  and  again  ?  and  has  he  not  done  almighty 
works  to  save  iis  ?  AVho  is  this  Christ,  that,  for  his  sake, 
we  should  renounce  all  our  own  accredited  saviours  ?  If 
he  be,  indeed,  almighty,  why  does  he  not  convert  all  ?  and 
what  need  of  your  preaching  to  us  ? '  " 

And  yet,  this  doctrine,  as  missionaries  all  testify,  and  facts 
show,  is  the  power  of  God  to  salvation,  and  that,  without 
which,  all  other  truths  would  fail  of  their  effect. 


THE    REMEDY   FOUND.  161 

A   CAUSE    OF    ^^TEEPING. 

A  young  man  in  Madagascar,  who  had  warmly  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  Redeemer,  was  observed  by  his  Christian 
companions  to  shed  tears  at  every  mention  of  the  name  of 
Jesus.  A  missionary,  to  whom  this  was  mentioned,  took 
particular  notice  of  the  circumstance,  in  subsequent  conver- 
sations with  him,  and  bore  testimony  to  the  fact.  One  of 
his  Christian  friends  asked  him,  one  day,  how  it  was  that  his 
tears  always  gushed  forth  when  he  mentioned  the  name  of 
Jesus.  He  replied,  "  How  can  I  do  otherwise  than  feel, 
while  I  mention  the  name  of  that  beloved  Saviour  who  suf- 
fered and  died  on  the  cross  for  me?"  —  Nar.  of  Persecu- 
tions in  Madagascar,  p.  172. 

THE    REMEDY   FOUISTD. 

An  important  testimony,  as  to  the  superiority  of  the 
Christian  doctrine,  is  given  by  a  converted  Hindoo,  named 
Yesoo,  belonging  to  a  village  near  Ahmednuggur.  He  had 
been  a  man  of  distinction,  and  always  a  very  moral  man,  so 
considei'ed,  which  gave  him  great  influence  with  his  people. 
He  had  belonged  to  many  sects  of  Hindoos,  hoping  to  find 
some  system  of  religion  that  would  be  satisfactory,  and,  for 
ten  years  previous  to  his  embracing  Christianity,  he  was 
connected  with  the  Kubeer  Punthee  sect,  a  comparatively 
pure  system  of  Hindooism,  as  it  denies  any  other  than  the 
one  living  and  true  God,  and  treats  the  stories  of  Hindoo 
incarnations  as  mere  fables.  The  founder  of  this  sect  was 
a  Mohammedan,  and  from  this  source  the  followers  of 
Kubeer  derived  some  knowledge  of  Abraham,  Moses,  David, 
and  Jesus,  and  of  their  character  as  prophets  of  God. 
Before  joining  this  sect,  Yesoo  once  went  to  Benares, 
distant  eight  hundred  miles,  and  brought  from  thence,  with 
great  labor,  a  shoulder-load  of  the  sacred  water  of  the 
Ganges.  With  part  of  this  water  he  gave  his  mother  a 
saci'ed  bath,  and  the  remainder  he  carried  to  Punderpoor, 
one  himdred  and  twenty  miles  further,  where  he  bathed  the 
image  of  a  god  —  an  act  of  great  merit  with  the  Hindoos. 
As  a  follower  of  Kubeer,  and  a  distinguished  teacher  of  that 
sect,  he  made  his  hundreds  of  disciples  in  Ahmednuggur, 
Poena,  Bombay,  Nassick,  and  other  places,  and  exerted  a 
commanding  influence  over  a  large  class  of  the  community 
who  did  not  receive  his  teachings.  He  became  acquainted 
with  the  missionaries  at  Ahmednuggur  in  1844,  and  then 
first  heard  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour  of  the  world. 
14* 


162  DOCTRINE    OP   THE   CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

He  was  prepared,  by  his  dissatisfaction  with  otiier  systems,  to 
embrace  Christianity  ;  and,  in  a  few  short  months,  he  began, 
under  faithful  instructions,  to  preach  to  his  disciples  salva- 
tion through  Christ  alone.  He  told  them  that  he  had  been 
deceiving  them  hitherto  ;  that  an  awful  load  of  guilt  rested 
upon  him  for  this  ;  that  he  could  only  hope  for  pardon  by 
applying  to  Jesus  Christ ;  and  he  urged  them  to  apply  to 
the  same  Saviour  for  salvation.  After  his  conversion  he 
spoke  freely  of  the  modes  of  deception  which  he  formerly 
practised  to  obtain  money  of  his  disciples  ;  and,  having  been 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  teachers  of  numerous  systems 
of  Hindooism,  he  exposed  the  "  hidden  things  of  darkness," 
and  modes  of  deception,  by  which  they  led  the  people  to 
look  up  to  them  as  possessed  of  superhuman  power.  He 
declared  that  every  religion  with  which  he  had  become 
acquainted,  among  the  Hindoos,  was  maintained  by  fraud 
and  deceit,  and  that  Christianity  was  the  only  religion  he 
had  ever  found,  free  from  all  deceptive  practices,  and  rest- 
ing on  the  simple  declarations  of  God  for  support.  It  is 
easy  to  see  how  missionaries,  and,  indeed,  all  ministers, 
may  turn  such  facts  to  the  advantage  of  Christianity.  — 
3Iiss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  96. 

TURNTWG   FROM   MARY    TO    CHRIST. 

The  remarkable  case  of  conversion  given  below  shows, 
not  only  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  but  also  the  fact  that, 
short  of  this,  there  is  nothing  which  can  effect  such  a 
change.  The  subject  of  this  change  was  an  Armenian, 
named  Hosvep.  He  was  connected  with  one  of  the  highest 
families  in  Constantinople,  but  was  extremely  vicious  —  a 
drunkard  and  debauchee  of  the  lowest  class.  To  appear- 
ance, there  was  the  least  possible  hope  that  truly  spiritual 
ideas  would  ever  occupy  his  polluted  mind.  "  But  his  very 
excess  of  iniquity,"  says  Mr.  Dwight,  "  seemed  all  at  once 
t©  strike  him  with  terror,  and  he  resolved  to  lead  a  religious 
life.  At  that  time  he  had  never  yet  heard  the  pure  Gospel 
preached,  and,  being  entirely  ignorant  of  God's  righteous- 
ness, he  went  about  to  establish  his  own  righteousness.  In 
order  to  atone  for  his  sins  and  purify  his  heart,  he  retired 
to  a  distant  monastery,  with  the  confident  expectation  that 
such  a  seclusion  from  the  world  would,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
bring  peace  of  mind  and  sanctity  of  cliaracter.  Not  finding 
his  hopes  realized  in  this  respect,  he  withdrew  entirely  from 
the  society  of  men,  and  lived  for  a  time  as  a  hermit,  in  the 


TURNING   FROM   MARY   TO    CHRIST.  163 

midst  of  an  uninhabited  wilderness.  He  soon  found,  how- 
ever, that,  even  by  this  severe  mode  of  bodily  infliction,  his 
soul  was  not  purified,  and  there  was  nothing  to  meet  his 
great  sense  of  want.  He  returned  to  the  capital,  and,  con- 
cluding that  the  defect  was  in  the  form  of  religion  under 
which  he  had  been  brought  up,  he  embraced  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith,  and  became  chief  singer  in  one  of  their 
churches.  This  was  his  situation  when  he  heard  of  the 
American  missionaries,  and  found  his  way  to  them.  From 
them  he  heard  the  Gospel  preached,  unmixed  with  human 
traditions,  and  immediately  embraced  it  with  his  whole 
heart,  as  the  very  thing  for  which  he  had  been  ignorantly 
seeking  for  so  long  a  time." 

He  began  to  labor  immediately,  and  earnestly,  for  the 
salvation  of  his  brother,  who  was  an  infatuated  Catholic 
Armenian,  and  who  bitterly  opposed,  for  a  time,  all  efforts 
to  instruct  him  in  a  better  way.  On  one  occasion,  he 
answered  Hosvep's  argument  by  spitting  in  his  face  ;  to 
which  ttie  latter  calmly  replied,  "  It  is  of  no  consequence  ; 
you  will  one  day  learn  to  do  better."  At  length  the  brother 
was  led  to  feel  his  need  of  an  infinite  Saviour,  and  to  turn 
from  Mary  to  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  only  sufficient  Mediator 
for  sinners.  He  became  a  joyful  believer,  and  endured  the 
most  trying  persecutions  for  Christ's  sake.  His  patience 
under  sufferings,  and  his  triumphant  death,  are  recorded  in 
the  journal  referred  to  below. 

Another  striking  incident  is  connected  with  the  history  of 
these  two  individuals.  The  death  of  the  brother  last  named 
was  caused  by  a  fright.  He  was  quietly  seated  in  his  shop 
one  day,  when  two  or  three  of  the  roughest  and  most  dan- 
gerous enemies  of  the  Protestants  appeared  before  him, 
apparently  to  take  his  life.  The  fright  which  this  gave  him 
caused  a  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  from  which  he  never 
recovered.  But,  here  again,  behold  the  power  of  divine 
grace.  The  cruel  and  ferocious  man,  who  was  chiefly  instru- 
mental of  Hosvep's  death,  was  led,  from  curiosity  or  hos- 
tility, to  enter  the  place  of  Protestant  worship  one  Sabbath, 
and  the  truths  which  he  there  heard  went  to  his  heart,  and 
resulted  in  his  conversion  ;  and  thus,  from  being  a  bitter 
and  terrible  persecutor,  he  became  one  of  the  persecuted  ! 
This  man,  on  leaving  the  churcli  that  Sabbath,  went  directly 
to  his  ungodly  companions,  and  told  them  that  he  had  found 
the  truth,  and  that  his  mind  was  fully  made  up  to  join  the 
Protestants,  who  knew  and  followed  nothing  but  the  Bible. 


164  DOCTRINE    OP   THE    CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

Subsequently  to  his  conversion,  he  was,  on  one  occasion, 
speaking'  to  some  evang-elical  friends  of  his  former  wicked- 
ness, and  mentioned,  among  other  things,  his  going  to  the 
shop  of  a  Protestant  one  day,  with  a  view  of  beating  him  ; 
but  that  he  was  completely  disarmed  by  the  sweet  manner 
and  soft  answers  of  the  individual,  and  left  him  without 
doing  anything  more  than  to  frighten  him.  When  told  that 
that  individual  was  Hosvep,  and  that  the  fright  had  been 
the  cause  of  his  death,  the  poor  man  was  overwhelmed  with 
grief,  and  burst  into  tears,  saying,  "What  shall  I  do  ?  I 
have  been  his  murderer  1  " 

Such  a  death  as  Hosvep's,  so  happy  and  triumphant, 
though  nothing  new  to  Christians  in  America,  was  new  to 
the  people  of  Turkey ;  and  several  who  saw  him  in  his  sick- 
ness, and  heard  him  converse,  though  indifferent  or  opposed, 
were  led  from  that  time  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  Prot- 
estants. 

Such  was  the  train  of  blessed  results  which  flowed  from 
the  conversion  of  the  first  Hosvep  ;  and  they  furnish  some 
of  the  most  striking  px'oofs  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel  over 
every  other  system,  as  a  religion  for  man,  of  whatever  creed 
or  country,  in  his  lost  and  guilty  state.  — Hiss.  Her.,  1847, 
p.  37. 

■WHY  CHRIST  IS  AN  OFFENCE. 

The  fact  is  thus  explained  by  one  who  has  long  been 
familiar  with  the  workings  of  the  heathen  mind  in  India : 
"  The  cross  sweeps  away  the  vast  accumulation  of  merits, 
and  deprives  the  Hindoo  of  his  chief  riches.  '  What,'  he 
indignantly  asks,  '  are  my  washings  in  a  thousand  streams 
useless  ?  Are  all  my  gifts,  and  offerings,  and  prostrations, 
and  repetitions  of  sacred  names,  of  no  account  in  the  work 
of  my  salvation  ?  Is  it  of  no  avail  that  I  have  trodden  the 
weary  way  to  such  and  such  a  shrine  ?  —  that  I  wear  the 
sacred  insignia  of  discipleship  to  such  a  deity  ?  Is  it  noth- 
ing, that  I  have  expended  wealth  in  building  wells,  temples, 
houses  of  rest  for  travellers  ?  Is  it  nothing,  that  I  have  sup- 
ported Brahmins,  and  feasted  them  at  great  expense  ? '  " 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  heathen  oppose  Christ  for  the 
same  reason  pi'ecisely  that  he  is  opposed  in  Christian  lands, 
namely,  that  he  sets  aside  all  their  round  of  duties,  and 
makes  them  stand  for  nothing,  as  grounds  of  justification 
and  hope.  — Glarkson's  India  and  the  Gospel,  p.  177. 


THE    CONVERTED    CAFFRE.  165 

THE  TRUE  TEACHER. 

About  the  year  llii,  a  Xortli  American  Indian,  named 
Abraham,  converted  under  the  labors  of  the  Moravian 
Brethren,  was  assailed  by  a  trader,  who  endeavored  to  per- 
suade the  Indian  that  the  Moravian  missionaries  were  not 
pnvileged  teachers.  To  this  Abraham  answered,  "  They  may 
be  what  they  will,  but  I  know  what  they  have  told  me,  and 
what  God  has  wrought  in  me.  Look  at  my  poor  country- 
men, there,  lying  drunk  before  your  door.  Why  do  you 
not  send  'privileged  teachers'  to  convert  them,  if  they  can? 
Four  years  ago  I,  also,  lived  like  a  beast,  and  not  one  of 
you  troubled  yourself  about  me  ;  but,  when  the  Brethren 
came,  they  preached  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  I  have  expe- 
rienced the  power  of  his  blood,  according  to  their  doctrine, 
so  that  I  am  free  from  the  dominion  of  sin.  Such  teachers 
we  want."  —  Hist.  Ilora.  Miss.,  p.  T8. 

NOT  MOHAMMED,  BUT  CHRIST. 

Great  intei'est  was  awakened,  in  1839  and  subsequently, 
by  the  conversion  of  a  Mohammedan,  at  Singapore,  named 
AH,  who  was  employed  as  Malay  teacher  to  the  missiona- 
ries. He  often  expressed  himself  thus:  "The  religion  of 
Jesus  is  the  only  true  one  given  to  men,  because  it  searches 
the  heart,  and  works  that  change  in  man  ivhich  the  Koran, 
and  the  study  I  have  given  to  it  for  twenty  years,  could  not 
produce."  In  a  letter  giving  his  experience,  he  says  he 
was  often  constrained  to  exclaim,  "Who  can  cleanse  me 
from  these  sins  ?  Mohammed  cannot  cleanse  me  ;  how 
much  less  can  my  father  and  mother  !  In  vain  have  I,  year 
after  year,  learned  the  Koran,  for  it  cannot  deliver  me  from 
my  sins.  None  but  Jesus  Christ  can  do  this."  —  Lon.  3Iiss. 
Mag.,  1810,  p.  161. 

THE  CONVERTED  CAPPRE. 

Among  the  most  savage  and  seemingly  incorrigible  of  the 
human  race  the  Gospel  gains  some  of  its  most  signal  tri- 
umphs. An  instance  of  this  occurred  in  South  Africa,  at 
the  station  of  Rev.  Mr.  Hood,  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society.  A  Caffre,  who  had  heard  a  missionarj^  preach  on 
the  wrath  to  come,  was  much  troubled  in  mind,  though  he 
did  not  understand  fully  the  meaning  of  the  language.  He 
was,  therefore,  brought  to  Rev.  Mr.  Hood,  missionary,  from 
whom  he  obtained  more  just  views  of  his  lost  state,  and 
asked  what  he  must  do.     Mr.  Hood  preached  to  him  Christ 


.166  DOCTEINE   OF   THE    CROSS   PRE-EMINENT. 

crucified,  the  Saviour  of  sinners.  The  anxious  Caffre  listened 
with  eagerness,  and,  fixing  an  anxious  eye  on  the  preacher, 
said,  "  Sir,  I  am  old  and  stupid  ;  tell  me  again."  And, 
being  told  again,  the  tears  rolled  down  the  sable  cheek  of 
this  man  of  noble  and  athletic  frame,  and  he  confessed  his 
astonishment  at  the  love  of  God,  and  the  compassion  of  the 
Saviour.  He  resolved  to  come  and  live  near  the  mission- 
ary, that  he  might  hear  again  and  again  the  glad  tidings. 
But  his  property  consisted  in  cattle,  and  there  was  no 
ground  for  grazing  near  the  station  ;  —  what  could  he  do  ? 
He  told  his  difiiculty  to  the  missionary,  and  added,  "  I  am 
a  Caffre,  and  I  love  my  cattle  ;  but  I  '11  part  with  the  last 
one  I  have,  if  that  stands  in  the  way  of  my  coming  to  hear 
the  word."  Matters  were  arranged,  and  he  took  up  his 
abode  on  missionary  ground,  where  he  was  regarded  as  a 
consistent  and  devoted  Christian.  How  literally  did  he  act 
up  to  that  precept,  "  If  thine  eye  offend  thee"  I  &c.  "  I  '11 
part  with  the  last  one  I  have."  Noble  resolve  !  — just  like 
a  true  Christian.  English  statesmen  have  called  the  CaflTres 
"a  race  of  irreclaimable  and  treacherous  savages."  But 
here  is  one  of  them,  acting  much  less  like  a  savage  and  a 
heathen,  probably,  than  many  of  his  proud  British  accusers. 
And  such  have  hundreds  of  them  become  since,  under  the 
preaching  of  Christ  crucified. — Jour,  of  Miss.,  Dec,  1851. 


THE  NEW  HEART -ITS  ONE  TYPE  IN  MANY 
FORMS  AND  DIALECTS. 


As  regeneration  is  by  one  Spirit,  so  there  is  in  it  a  cer- 
tain measure  of  uniformity.  There  is  a  class  of  inward 
experiences  and  of  outward  manifestations,  which  always 
and  everywhere  pertain  to  the  subjects  of  this  change.  In 
India  or  Africa,  in  Greenland  or  the  South  Sea  Islands,  in 
Palestine  or  Labrador,  in  the  American  forest  or  the  New 
England  home,  the  convert  speaks  of  the  same  convictions 
of  sin,  flies  to  the  same  cross,  rejoices  in  one  hope,  aban- 
dons idolatries  and  corruptions,  and  counts  all  things  loss 
for  Christ.  The  matter  arranged  under  this  head  is  intended 
to  set  forth,  in  a  strong  light,  this  important  fact.  In  these 
brief  narratives,  we  hear  the  Hindoo  and  the  Hottentot, 
the^-  Arab  and  the  Esquimaux,  the  Dyak,  the  Copt,  the  Red 
Man,  and  the  nominal  believer,  all  speaking,  in  essentially 
one  tongue,  of  the  wonderful  things  of  God.  Then,  with 
this  unity  of  personal  religious  experience,  there  is  great 
circumstantial  variety.  The  means,  forms,  dialects,  and  all 
the  outward  conditions  of  this  new  life,  are  as  endlessly 
diversified  as  are  the  habits,  customs,  complexions,  and 
languages,  of  the  nations  and  tribes  of  the  earth.  This 
unity  of  experience,  under  so  many  forms,  is  peculiar  to 
the  Gospel.  It  appears  under  no  other  system  than  that 
of  Christianity,  and  under  none  but  the  evangelical  view 
of  Christianity.  The  change,  the  regeneration,  the  new 
creature,  so  well  defined,  which  we  are  contemplating  in 
its  singular  diversities,  does   not  result  from  Hindooism, 


168  THE    NEW    HEART  —  ITS    ONE    TYPE. 

Mohammedanism,  or  Romanism  ;  nor  is  it  any  more  the 
fruit  of  the  so-called  "  Liberal  "  systems  of  Christendom. 
It  is  the  orthodox  or  evangelical  form  of  doctrine  alone  that 
penetrates  the  dark  recesses  of  the  heathen  heart,  reveals 
to  that  heart  its  sin  and  ruin,  and  brings  it,  whether  in  the 
jungles  of  India,  in  the  wilds  of  Africa,  or  on  the  desolate 
Greenland  coast,  to  one  and  the  same  view  of  itself,  of 
Christ,  of  the  atonement,  of  prayer,  a  holy  life,  and  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments.  If  any  one 
doubts  whether  other  and  laxer  systems  may  not  be  as  effi- 
cacious and  saving  as  the  evangelical,  let  him  bring  them  to 
the  test  of  experiment.  Let  him  array  his  preachers  of  scep- 
ticism, of  liberalism,  of  no  regeneration,  no  Holy  Spirit,  no 
Almighty  Saviour,  against  the  fortifications  of  heathen  idol- 
atry and  superstition,  and  watch  for  the  victories  and  revo- 
lutions, which  evangelical  pi'eaching  secures.  He  will 
watch  in  vain  ;  and  the /ads  presented  in  this  work  furnish 
a  demonstration,  not  only  that  the  evangelical  sects  and 
their  missionaries  have  a  true  view  of  the  Gospel  and  its  doc- 
trines, but  that  they  have  the  oidy  view  which  can  ever 
awaken  and  regenerate  the  heathen  mind,  or  secure  any 
really  great  and  saving  benefits  to  mankind.  This,  and  this 
alone,  as  seen  in  the  light  of  experience  and  manifold  fruits, 
is  the  "  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints." 

THE  TWO  HEARTS. 

It  is  found  to  be  very  common  for  the  heathen,  under 
conviction,  to  speak  of  having  two  hearts  —  the  bad  heart 
and  the  good  heart.  Several  cases  are  recorded  in  the 
present  volume,  though  found  in  different  countries  and  of 
different  nations.  The  following  is  an  instance.  A  woman 
in  West  Africa,  who  had  been  enlightened  by  the  Scriptures, 
Avas  much  distressed,  and  said,  weeping,  that  she  "  had  two 
hearts  that  troubled  her  so  mucli  that  she  did  not  know  what 
to  do.  One  was  the  new  heart,  that  told  all  things  that  she 
had  ever  been  doing.  The  same  heart  told  her  that  she 
must  go  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  tell  him  all  her  sins,  as  she 
had  heard  at  church  ;  but  lior  old  heart  told  her,  '  Never 


NATIVE   CHURCHES    AT   WOKK.  169 

mind  !  God  no  save  black  man,  but  only  white  man.  How 
you  know  he  died  for  black  man  ?  '  Iler  new  heart  said  : 
'  Go,  cry  to  him  and  ask  ! '  Old  heart  tell  me,  do  my  work 
first,  fetch  water,  make  fire,  wash,  and  then  go  pray.  When 
my  work  done,  then  me  forget  to  pray.  I  don't  know  what 
to  do."  The  missionary  read  and  explained  to  her  the  sev- 
enth chapter  of  Romans,  and  when  he  came  to  the  verse,  "  0, 
wretched  man  that  I  am,  &c./'  she  said,  "Ah,  massa,  that 
me  —  me  no  know  what  to  do."  He  then  added  the  words 
of  St.  Paul,  "I  thank  God  through  Jesus  Christ,"  and  ex- 
plained to  her  the  love  of  Christ.  She  was  deeply  afiected, 
and  has  continued  to  follow  the  Saviour  ever  since.  —  Quar- 
terly Papers  of  Gh.  Miss.  Soc,  1821. 

NATIVE   CHURCHES  AT  "WORK. 

It  has  been  the  aim  of  missionaries,  as  far  as  practi- 
cable, to  train  the  native  Christians  to  habits  of  giving.  In 
Tinnevelly,  Southern  India,  in  1852,  the  Christians  con- 
tributed nine  hundred  rupees  to  the  Bible  Society.  From 
Travaucore  they  remitted  three  hundred  and  forty-eight 
rupees.  (A  rupee  is  about  fifty  cents.)  At  Nagercoil,  and 
two  neighboring  stations,  the  same  year,  the  collections 
amounted  to  six  hundred  and  seventy  rupees.  At  some 
stations  there  is  a  Book  Society  ;  at  some,  a  Dorcas,  or  a 
Poor  Fund.  In  the  Nagercoil  mission  subscriptions  are 
gathered  as  a  contribution  to  the  Home  Society,  and  for 
several  years  they  have  amounted  to  a  thousand  rupees, 
enough  for  the  support  of  twelve  readers.  Throughout 
Tinnevelly  there  are  societies  to  aid  the  building  of  village 
churches.  An  immense  number  of  such  churches  have  been 
erected  by  their  aid.  Many,  that  have  no  money,  contribute 
lumps  of  sugar.  The  catechists  and  more  wealthy  men 
give  liberally.  One  catechist,  in  the  Propagation  Society's 
jubilee,  gave  four  months^  salary!  and  when  the  missionary 
objected,  thinking  it  was  too  much,  he  said,  "  I  must  give 
it,  in  thankfulness  for  what  I  have  received  from  the  mission, 
and  for  the  education  of  my  children  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  Gospel."  The  same  man,  on  collection  days,  has  been 
known  quietly  to  give  his  two  boys  two  rupees  each  to  put 
into  the  box.  One  man,  on  several  such  occasions,  has  given 
twenty-five  rupees.  Rev.  W.  Clarke,  of  Palmacotta,  says, 
"  I  have  obtained  a  carefully  prepared  statement  of  the 
sums  of  money  contributed  by  the  Tinnevelly  Christians  to 
15 


170  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

their  different  societies,  during'  tlie  last  four  years  (1852  to 
1856),  and  it  proves  the  astonishing  fact,  that  the  Christians 
of  eleven  stations,  twenty-one  thousand  in  number,  con- 
tributed, during  that  period,  no  less  than  seventeen  thou- 
sand rupees !  If  we  reckon  those  of  the  seven  other 
stations,  containing  fourteen  thousand  people,  as  liberal  in 
an  equal  degree,  it  will  exhibit  the  sum  total  given  by  the 
whole  Christian  community  in  the  province  of  Tinnevelly, 
as  amounting  to  more  than  twenty-eight  thousand  rupees  in 
those  four  years."  —  Am.  Bap.  Miss.  Mag.,  1856,  p.  189. 

THE  CONVERTED   NEGRO    AND  HIS   PIDDLE, 

A  slave  in  the  island  of  Jamaica,  of  unusual  intelligence, 
and  a  fine  player  on  the  violin,  was  brought  under  divine 
truth,  through  the  labors  of  the  English  Baptist  missiona- 
ries, and  became  a  decided  Christian.  Fearing  that  his 
instrument  might  prove  a  snare  to  him,  he  broke  it.  Soon 
after,  his  master  told  him  that  he  should  want  him,  before 
long,  to  play  his  favorite  instrument.  lie  replied,  "Fiddle 
broke,  massa."  —  "It  must  be  mended,  Sam."  —  "Broke 
all  to  pieces,  massa."  —  "Well,  we  must  get  a  new  one, 
Sam."  —  "  Me  tink  dat  no  good,  massa  ;  he  soon  broke." 
The  master,  suspecting  that  this  breaking  of  fiddles  had 
something  to  do  with  religion,  to  which  he  was  no  friend, 
said,  "I  hope  you  do  not  go  to  pray,  and  run  after  these 
mad-headed  folks,  Sam."  —  "To  tell  de  truth,  me  gone, 
massa."  His  master  now  threatened  to  flog  him  ;  to  which 
he  returned  answer,  "Dat  no  good,  massa;  whip  no  flog 
de  word  out."  His  master  now  removed  the  refractory 
slave  from  his  comfortable  position  as  a  house-servant,  to 
work  in  the  field,  under  a  burning  Jamaica  sun.  He  was 
now  in  the  midst  of  three  hundred  slaves,  to  Avhom  he  soon 
began  to  talk  about  religion,  inviting  them  to  go  and  hear 
his  minister.  His  master,  hearing  of  this,  was  still  more 
incensed,  and,  calling  him  up,  said,  "How dare  you  trouble 
my  negroes  ?  I  will  have  no  praying  negroes."  —  "  Me  no 
tink  they  are  troubled,  massa.  Do  dey  work  much  worse, 
or  are  dey  more  saucy,  massa?" — "That  is  nothing  to 
you;  how  dare  you  trouble  my  negroes  ?  "  —  "  To  tell  de 
truth,  massa,  me  tink  dat  de  bread  dat  is  good  foi-  my  soul, 
is  good  for  my  broder  neger  ;  and  me  tink  dat  if  it  is  a  good 
ting  for  me  to  escape  hell,  it  is  good  for  broder  neger;  and 
if  heaven  is  a  good  place  for  me,  it  is  good  for  broder  ne- 


THE   WILL.  171 

ger  ;  and  me  pray  ;  and  me  pray  for  rich  massa,  and  me  tink 
dat  if  my  rich  massa  would  once  go  and  hear  de  missionary, 
he  would  always  go  afterwards."  At  all  this  the  master 
was  angry,  but  sent  the  negro  parson,  Sam,  from  his  pres- 
ence with  nothing  worse  than  threatening  words. — English 
Bap.  Miss.  Papers,  1828,  p.  104. 

ANOTHER  TONGUE. 

At  a  missionary  meeting  in  Takopota,  New  Zealand,  in 
1850,  several  addresses  were  made  by  men,  who,  a  few 
3'ears  before,  were  cannibals,  feasting  on  the  flesh  of  mur- 
dered men  and  women.  One  of  them  said,  "There  is  but 
one  great  thing,  that  is  the  Gospel.  Why  have  we  left  off 
eating  one  another  ?  It  is  because  the  Gospel  has  come  to 
us.  Why  have  our  evil  practices  been  discontinued  ?  It  is 
of  the  Gospel.  Why  do  our  quarrels  end  without  blood- 
shed ?  It  is  from  the  Gospel.  The  Gospel  is  good  for  the 
body  as  well  as  the  soul."  Another  said,  "  It  is  written  in 
the  Acts  that  the}'  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues.     This  is  another  tongue 

—  another  language.  Our  language  before  was  for  war  and 
bloodshed  ;  murder  was  our  delight.  Now  this  is  another 
tongue  ;  it  is  the  language  of  peace  and  joy  —  of  love,  and 
of  the  Gospel."  A  third  said,  "In  old  times,  when  Levi 
Mokora  and  other  chiefs  got  up  to  speak,  it  was  for  murder, 
war,  and  bloodshed.  What  has  caused  this  difference  in 
these  chiefs  ?  What  has  caused  this  difference  in  our  as- 
semblies ?  Is  it  not  the  Gospel  ?  Then  let  us  send  the 
Gospel  to  others."  —  Fresby.  For.  Hiss.,  1852,  p.  171. 

THE  WILL. 

In  one  of  the  reports  of  the  London  Hibernian  Society 
is  the  following  anecdote  of  a  little  boy,  who  was  going  to 
school  with  the  Bible  under  his  arm.  He  was  asked  by  a 
person  who  met  him,  what  book  he  had  ;  to  which  he  re- 
plied, "  It  is  a  will,  sir."  — "What  will  ?"  —  "  The  last 
will  and  testament  that  Jesus  Christ  left  to  me,  and  to  all 
who  desire  to  claim  a  title  in  the  property  therein  be- 
queathed," answered  the  boy,  —  "What  did  Christ  leave 
you  in  that  will?"  —  "A  kingdom,  sir."  —  "Where  does 
that  kingdom  lie  ?  "  —  "  It  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  sir." 

—  "And  do  you  expect  to  reign  as  a  king  there?" — ■ 
"Yes,  sir,  as  joint  heir  with  Christ." — "And  will  not 
every  person  get  there,   as  well  as  you?" — "No,   sir; 


172  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS   ONE   TYPE. 

none  can  go  there  but  those  who  claim  their  title  to  that 
kingdom  upon  the  ground  of  the  will."  To  other  questions 
the  boy  gave  equally  intelligent  and  satisfactory  answers,  as 
to  the  reason  and  ground  of  the  hope  that  was  in  him.  — • 
Miss.  Her.,  1828,  p.  161. 

THE    WEGRO'S    TESTIMONY   FOR    CHRIST. 

Rev.  Mr.  Coulcart,  of  the  Baptist  mission  in  Jamaica, 
furnishes  the  following  instructive  and  curious  narrative. 
After  giving  ari  account  of  a  great  religious  interest,  he 
adds  : — "A  Guinea  negro,  whose  experience  we  lately  heard, 
observed  respecting  himself,  that  from  the  time  he  came 
from  the  Guinea  coast,  '  him  no  able  to  take  a  word  ;  if  any 
one  offend  him,  me  take  knife,  me  take  tick,  me  no  satisfy 
till  me  drink  him  blood  ;  me  now  able  to  take  twenty  word. 
Den  me  tief,  me  drink,  ebery  bad  ting  me  do.  Somebody 
say,  me  must  pray.  Me  say  no  ;  what  me  pray  for  ?  rum 
best  pray  for  me  ;  give  me  someting  good  for  eat,  dat  bet- 
ter dan  pray.' —  'What  made  you  change  your  mind, 
then  ?  '  asked  the  missionary.  —  '  Massa,  me  go  to  church 
one  Sunday,  an'  me  hear  massa  parson  say,  Jesus  Christ 
came  and  pill  him  blood  for  tinner.  Ah,  someting  say,  you 
heara  dat  ?  him  pill  him  blood  I  Ah  !  so  !  Den  me  de  tin- 
ner, me  de  tief,  me  de  drunkard  !  Him  pill  him  blood  for 
Guinea  neger !  0  !  0  !  Jesus  die  for  poo'  neger  fore  he 
know  him  !  '  thinking,  adds  the  missionary,  as  seems  quite 
natural  to  them,  that  Jesus  becomes  acquainted  with  them 
just  then,  because  he  is  just  then  telling  them  all  they  have 
done."  — £'np'.  Bap.  Miss.  Her.,  April,  1822. 

THE  NE"W  CREATURE. 

"  I  understand,"  said  John  Sunday,  the  converted  Indian 
chief,  to  a  congregation  he  was  called  to  address  at  Plym- 
outh, in  the  year  1837,  "that  many  of  you  are  disap- 
pointed, because  I  have  not  brought  my  Indian  dress  with 
me.  Perhaps,  if  I  had  it  on,  you  would  be  afraid  of  me. 
Do  you  wish  to  know  how  I  dressed  when  I  was  a  pagan 
Indian?  I  will  tell  you.  My  face  was  covered  with  rod 
paint.  I  stuck  feathers  in  my  hair.  I  wore  a  blanket  and 
leggins.  I  had  silver  ornaments  on  my  breast,  a  rifle  on 
my  shoulder,  a  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  in  my  belt. 
That  was  my  dress  then.  Now,  do  you  wish  to  know  why 
I  wear  it  no  longer  ?  You  will  find  the  cause  in  2d  Corin- 
thians, fifth  chapter,  and  seventeenth  verse.     'Therefore, 


god's  work  must  be  done,  173 

if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature  ;  old  things 
are  passed  awaj-  ;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new.' 
When  I  became  a  Christian,  feathers  and  paint  done  away. 
I  gave  my  silver  ornaments  to  the  mission  cause.  Scalping- 
knife  done  away  ;  tomahawk  done  away.  That  is  mj''  tom- 
ahawk now,"  said  he,  holding  up  a  copy  of  the  ten  com- 
mandments in  the  Ojibwa  language.  "  Blanket  done  away. 
Behold,"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  manner  in  which  simplicity  and 
dignity  were  combined,  "behold,  all  things  are  become 
new."  —  Am.  3Iiss.,  vol.  iv.,  p.  8t. 

GIVE    "WHEN"    MOVED    TO  IT. 

On  one  of  the  estates  in  British  Guiana  there  was  a  man 
who  had  long  been  noted  for  his  cruelty,  and  who  was 
dreaded  by  everybody.  Under  the  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel by  the  missionary  he  was  converted,  and  gave  very  de- 
cided proofs  of  devotion  to  his  Saviour.  On  hearing  a  ser- 
mon in  behalf  of  a  charitable  object,  and  having  but  two 
"bits,"  about  eighteen  pence,  he  lamented  that  he  had  not 
more,  for  he  felt  as  if  he  "  could  give  the  world  to  that 
Saviour  who  had  redeemed  him."  The  next  morning  a  man, 
who  owed  him  a  little  more  than  three  shillings  sterling, 
brought  it  to  him,  and,  as  soon  as  he  got  it,  he  carried  it  to 
one  of  the  members,  and  told  him  to  carry  it  to  the  chapel 
the  next  Sabbath,  and  add  it  to  the  collection.  The  brother 
replied  that  he  had  better  keep  it  and  deliver  it  to  the  min- 
ister himself.  He  quickly  answered,  "  No,  no  ;  you  must 
take  it ;  I  cannot  take  it  home  myself;  if  I  put  it  past,  my 
heart  may  change  before  next  Sabbath.  It  is  the  Lord's, 
and  to  him  I  have  given  it."  A  valuable  suggestion  to 
ministers  and  Christians ;  for  how  many  rob  the  Lord's 
treasur}^  and  rob  their  own  souls  of  a  blessing,  by  with- 
holding their  chanty,  when  prompted  to  give,  and  "putting 
it  past  till  their  hearts  have  changed."  — Missionary  Chron- 
icle, 1835,  p.  75. 

GOD'S  "WORK  MUST  BE  DONE. 

A  missionary  in  the  West  Lidies,  Rev.  Mr.  Davies,  called 
over  the  names  of  his  congregation  one  Sabbath,  to  ascer- 
tain how  much  each  could  raise.  In  describing  the  scene, 
he  ssiys,  "I  happened  to  call  the  name  of  Fitzgerald  Mat- 
thew. '  I  am  here  sir,'  he  instantly  replied  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  I  saw  him  hobbling  with  his  wooden  leg  out  of 
the  crowd,  to  come  up  to  the  table  pew,  where  I  was  stand- 
15* 


174  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS   ONE   TYPE. 

\ng.  I  wondered  what  he  meant,  for  the  others  answered 
to  tlieir  names  without  moving  from  their  pUices.  I  was 
struck  with  his  earnestness.  On  coming  up,  he  put  his 
hand  into  one  pocket,  and  took  out  a  handful  of  silver,  wrap- 
ped in  paper,  and  said,  '  That 's  for  j/ie,  massa.'  '  0,'  I  said, 
'keep  your  money  at  present;  I  don't  want  it  7iow ;  I  onlj'' 
wanted  to  know  how  much  you  could  afibrd  to  give  ;  I  will 
come  for  the  money  another  time.'  — '  Ah,  massa,'  he  replied, 
'God^s  ivork  must  be  done,  and  I  may  be  dead ;'  and  with 
that  he  plunged  his  hand  into  another  pocket,  and  took  out 
another  handful  of  silver,  and  said,  'That's  for  my  wife, 
massa.'  Then  he  put  his  hand  into  a  third  pocket,  and 
took  out  a  somewhat  smaller  parcel,  and  said,  '  That 's  for 
my  child,  massa,'  at  the  same  time  giving  me  a  slip  of 
paper,  which  somebody  had  written  for  him,  to  say  how 
much  the  whole  was.  It  was,  altogether,  near  three  pounds 
sterling  —  a  large  sum  for  a  poor  field  negro,  with  a  wooden 
leg  !  But  what  he  had  said  was  to  me  worth  more  than  all 
the  money  in  the  world.  Hardly  ever  have  I  been  so  im- 
pressed with  anything  as  with  the  simple  expression  of 
this  poor  negro,  '  God's  woi'k  must  be  done,  and  I  may  be 
dead.'"  — Jf las.  Bepository,  1846,  p.  84. 

THE  ARMENIAN"  CONVEKTS. 

An  extensive  and  powerful  religious  awakening  occurred 
among  the  Armenians,  in  1844,  some  sixteen  villages  having 
been  visited  simultaneously  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  in  them 
all  some  persons  led  to  seek  a  pure  Gospel,  and  to  rejoice 
in  its  light.  Like  all  the  regenerate,  they  began  at  once  to 
breathe  after  God  and  a  knowledge  of  his  ways.  Like  all 
truly  converted  persons,  they  feared  the  Lord,  and  thought 
upon  his  name  ;  they  met  together  for  prayer,  for  reading 
the  Scriptures,  and  for  conversation  on  the  great  things  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  So  wonderful  and  striking  is  the 
fact,  that  when  God's  Spirit  visits  men's  hearts  with  regen- 
erating power,  whether  in  India  or  Africa,  among  those 
wedded  to  the  dead  forms  of  a  corrupt  Christianity,  or  those 
living  under  the  clear  light  of  the  Gospel,  the  elfects  are 
precisely  the  same,  in  the  soul's  longing  after  God,  after  the 
Scriptures,  after  seasons  of  prayer,  communion  with  saints, 
and  a  pure  and  simple  worsliip.  But  yet,  in  heathen  lands, 
there  are  phenomena  attending  conversions,  not  often  seen 
in  Christian  countries.  In  describing  this  difference,  Mr. 
Goodell,  of  Constantinople,  says  :  "  In  America  so  many  are 


FAITH    AND    JOY    OP    THE    HINDOO    CONVERT.  175 

I  rought  up,  as  we  may  say,  in  the  suburbs  of  Christianity, 
a  ad  spend  their  lives  so  near  the  boundary-line,  that  it  is 
hardly  perceived  when  they  pass,  or  whether  they  do  in 
fact  ever  pass,  into  the  kingdom  of  light.  But  in  these 
countries  it  is  dift'erent.  Here  the  change  is  marked.  To 
take  a  man  right  out  of  Satan's  kingdom,  —  from  the  very 
midst  of  all  the  darkness,  and  ignorance,  and  pollution,  and 
sin  of  manj^  generations,  and  bring  him  away  into  the  glo- 
rious kingdom  of  Christ, — into  all  the  light,  and  truth,  and 
purity,  and  liberty,  of  the  sons  of  God,  —  is,  indeed,  like 
bringing  him  into  a  new  world.  To  all  his  acquaintance 
and  former  associates  it  is  like  the  shock  of  an  earthquake, 
and  there  is  a  deep  sensation  felt  for  many  miles  around."  — 
3Iiss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  112. 

FAITH  AITD  JOY  OF  THE  HINDOO  COITVEIIT. 

In  his  learned  and  discriminating  work  on  "  India  and  the 
Gospel,"  p. 262, Rev.  William  Clarkson  says:  "The  following 
is  one  of  the  numerous  illustrations  of  the  faith,  and  hope, 
and  joy,  of  the  Indian  convert.  Delho,  a  converted  Koli, 
of  Gujurat,  had  left  his  village  and  his  relatives,  and  joined 
our  church.  One  Sabbath  morning  he  came  up  to  me,  and, 
after  having  given  me  the  Christian  salutation,  '  Kushalti,' 
(peace),  said,  '  0,  what  delight  is  there  in  the  word  of  God  I 
1  am  filled  with  joy.  It  is  written,"  I  will  give  to  thee  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  thee."  What  blessed  words  !  These 
are  the  fearless  hiding-places  to  which  one  may  resort. 
How  sad  to  flee  away  from  such  —  to  betake  one's  self  to  a 
small  piece  of  straw,  rather  than  to  dwell  in  our  Father's 
house  ! '  He  again  said,  '  I  have  been  praying,  "  Lord,  let 
thy  kingdom  come  —  let  thy  kingdom  come  !  Let  tliy  glory 
come  speedily  !  "  What  can  I  or  any  one  do,  sinful  and 
helpless  ?  Those  only  can  walk  whom  God  makes  to  walk.' 
He  then  read,  '  Let  him  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me.' 
He  smiled  with  great  delight,  and  said,  '  The  word  of  God 
is  a  very  powerful  word  ;  who  can  bear  it  ?  No  one  can 
bear  the  yoke  without  God's  help.  God  can  do  all  things, 
but  we  can  do  nothing.'  I  said  to  him,  'To-day  is  the 
Lord's  day;  rejoice  in  it.'  He  said,  'From  the  day  that 
Delho  had  the  word  of  God  in  his  hand,  he  has  continually 
rejoiced.'  This  dear,  good  man  was  shedding  tears  nearly 
all  the  time,  and  kept  his  book  before  his  eyes  to  conceal 
them.     Surely,  it  may  be  said  of  such,   '  Blessed  art  thou, 


176  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee  ;  but  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  " 


WE  HAVE  GOT  THE  ROOT. 

The  following  instructive  little  narrative  is  told  in  the 
Juvenile  Missionary  Magazine.  Several  Christians,  natives 
of  Tahiti,  called  on  one  of  the  missionaries,  and  told  him  of 
a  conversation  they  had  just  had  with  a  Roman  Catholic 
priest.  They  said  the  latter  had  shown  them  a  large  tree 
(artificial)  with  the  root,  the  trunk,  the  branches,  the  twigs, 
and  explained  to  them  the  meaning  of  it.  At  the  root  was 
a  lamb,  and  that,  said  the  priest,  meant  the  Saviour,  the 
Lamb  of  God  ;  and  the  tree,  he  added,  represented  the 
Eoman  Catholic  Church.  At  the  bottom  of  the  trunk,  next 
above  the  root,  was  Peter,  the  first  bishop  of  Rome,  said  he, 
and  next  to  Jesus  Christ.  "  Yes,"  said  the  Tahitians,  "we 
know  about  Peter  ;  we  have  got  two  letters  of  his,  which 
we  read  in  our  Testament.  That  was  the  man  who  denied 
his  Master  ;  but  the  Saviour  looked  on  him,  and  that  look 
melted  his  heart,  and  the  Saviour  forgave  him.  But  who 
are  all  these,"  said  the  Tahitians,  "rising  upon  the  trunk 
of  the  tree  above  Peter  ?  "  —  "  0,"  said  the  priest,  "they 
are  the  Popes,  the  successors  of  Peter."  —  "  Ah,  we  don't 
know  about  them,"  said  the  natives  ;  "  but  never  mind, 
■WE  'vE  GOT  THE  ROOT.  And  what  are  the  straight  branches 
that  go  off  from  the  trunk?"  asked  the  inquisitive  Tahi- 
tians. "  They  are  the  different  orders  of  the  church,  monks, 
friars,  &c."  —  "We  don't  know  them  either,"  said  the  peo- 
ple, "but  go  on  ;  we  've  got  the  root,  so  we  can  do  Avithout 
them.  But  pray,"  they  asked,  "what  are  these  twigs, 
dropping  off  at  the  extremities  ?  " —  "  Ah,"  said  the  priest, 
"  they  are  the  heretics,  and  they  are  falling  quick  into  the 
flames  below."  —  "Indeed,"  said  the  Tahitians,  "then 
whereabouts  are  we?"  —  "  0,"  said  the  priest,  "you  are 
there,"  pointing  up  to  one  corner;  "there's  Luther  —  a 
decayed  twig  —  he  is  dropping  off,  you  see,  into  the  flames, 
and  there  's  where  you  and  your  missionaries  will  go,  for 
you  are  all  heretics."  —  "Ah,  well,"  said  the  Tahitians, 
"such  is  your  picture,  and  such  is  the  meaning  of  it  you 
give  us  ;  but,  however,  we  've  got  the  root,  and  so  we  think 
we  cannot  be  very  far  wrong,  and  we  mean  to  keep  to 
that." 


THE   LAW   IN   THE   MEMBERS.  177 

DECISION  IN  A  LITTLE  GIRL. 

A  little  girl  in  Ceylon,  belonging'  to  one  of  the  mission 
schools,  was  converted,  and  received  the  name  of  Harriet 
when  she  was  presented  for  baptism.  At  home  she  wonld 
call  her  father  and  mother  and  others  together,  and  read  the 
Scriptures,  and  pray  with  them.  She  met  with  much  opposi- 
tion in  this  course  from  her  grandfather,  who  was  a  wicked 
man,  and  who,  while  she  was  engaged  in  the  family  devo- 
tions, or  after  they  were  finished,  would  seize  her  by  the 
hair  of  her  head,  and  drag  her  about  and  beat  her,  and 
order  her  not  to  pray  again.  But  his  attempts  to  stop 
her  failed  ;  for  she  told  him  that  God  was  to  be  obeyed 
rather  than  man,  and  jDcrsevered.  Harriet  died  when  she 
was  eleven  years  old,  praj'ing  and  rejoicing.  She  was  one 
of  five  who  died  in  the  same  house  within  eight  days,  her 
cruel  grandfather  being  one  of  the  number. — 3Iiss.  Her., 
Aug.,  1834. 

NICODEMUS  AND  THE  GREAT  "WHEEL. 

Nicodemus  was  the  name  of  an  Indian  convert,  under  the 
Moravian  missionaries  in  North  America,  as  early  as  1742. 
He  proved  a  very  faithful  Christian  helper,  and  died  in 
peace,  saying,  "  I  am  poor  and  needy,  and  therefore  amazed 
at  the  love  of  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  always  with 
me."  Once,  when  he  was  looking  at  a  mill  at  Gnadenhut- 
ten,  he  addressed  a  missionary  thus  :  "  Brother,  I  discover 
something  that  rejoices  my  heart.  I  have  seen  the  great 
wheel,  and  many  little  ones  ;  every  one  was  in  motion,  and 
seemed  all  alive  ;  but  suddenly  all  stopped,  and  the  mill 
was  as  dead.  I  then  thought,  '  Surely,  all  depends  upon 
one  wheel ;  if  the  water  runs  upon  that,  everything  else  is 
alive  ;  but,  when  that  ceases  to  flow,  all  appears  dead. 
Just  so  it  is  with  my  heart.  It  is  as  a  dead  wheel.  But,  as 
soon  as  Jesus'  blood  flows  upon  it,  it  gets  life,  and  sets 
everything  in  motion,  and,  the  whole  man  being  governed 
by  it,  it  becomes  evident  that  there  is  life  throughout.  But, 
when  the  heart  is  removed  from  the  crucified  Jesus,  it  dies 
gradually,  and  at  length  all  life  ceases.'"  —  Hist.  Mora. 
Miss,  in  North  America,  p.  104. 

THE  LAW  IN  THE  MEMBERS. 

A  converted  negi-o  in  Jamaica,  after  speaking  of  his  joy- 
ful state  of  mind,  added,  "  But  things  do  not  remain  in  this 
state.     I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but  I  must  confess,  it  then 


178  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS   ONE   TYPE. 

appears  to  me  as  though  i  heard  anotlier  voice,  and  had 
another  will  —  as  though  I  had  Iwo  heartn!  I  am  forced  to 
do  the  very  opposite  of  what  I  desire  to  do  ;  I  am  angry  at 
myself.  1  would  fliin  follow  the  Lord,  and  hate  the  world, 
and  3'et  I  am  drawn  to  go  in  two  opposite  ways."  The 
missionary  replied  to  him  by  reading  the  seventh  chapter 
of  Romans. — llora.  Church  Miscellany,  1850,  p.  129. 

SIMILES   ON"  THE  LOVE   OP  GOD, 

In  the  early  labors  of  the  Moravian  missionaries  among 
the  North  American  Indians,  occurred  the  following  inci- 
dent. After  a  sermon,  wliich  treated  of  the  great  love  of 
God  to  man,  in  the  incarnation  and  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  a  strange  Mahikan  (Mohegan)  asked  an  Indian  sis- 
ter whether  all  the  people  at  church  had  a  feeling  of  this 
great  love  of  God.  She  answered,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  wheth- 
er all  feel  it;  but  those  who  believe  and  love  our  Saviour 
feel  it  certainly.  I  will  introduce  a  simile.  Suppose  there 
was  a  very  delicious  meal  prepared  in  this  room,  and  many 
people  attending  ;  those  only  who  eat  can  say  that  the 
victuals  taste  well  ;  the  others  cannot  say  so.  Thus  it  is 
with  our  Saviour.  Only  those  who  have  tasted  of  his  love 
can  speak  of  it,  and  they  never  forget  it."  The  Mahikan 
replied,  "  Your  simile  is  just.  Now  I  will,  likewise,  tell 
you  something.  When  my  first  child  was  born,  I  was  anx- 
ious to  see  it.  When  I  saw  the  child,  I  thought,  '  This  child 
God  has  made,'  and  I  loved  it  so  much  that  I  could  not  for- 
bear looking  at  it  continually.  Soon  after,  the  child  died, 
and  I  mourned  to  that  degree  that  nothing  could  comfort 
me.  I  had  no  rest  day  nor  night,  and  my  child  was  always 
in  my  thoughts,  for  my  very  heart  cleaved  to  it.  At  last  I 
could  bear  the  house  no  longer,  but  ran  into  the  woods,  and 
almost  lost  my  senses.  The  Indians  then  advised  me  to 
take  an  emetic  to  get  rid  of  my  sorrow.  I  complied,  but 
the  love  for  my  child,  and  my  sorrow  for  its  loss,  were  not 
removed,  and  I  returned  to  the  woods.  There  I  beheld  the 
trees  and  the  birds,  and  considered  that  the  same  God  cre- 
ated them  who  made  my  child.  I  then  said,  'Thou,  0  God, 
who  madest  all  things,  I  know  not  where  thou  art,  but  I 
have  heard  that  thou  dwellest  in  heaven.  Thou  hast  taken 
ray  child,  take  ni}''  sorrow  and  grief  likewise  from  me  ! ' 
This  was  done,  and  then  I  could  forget  my  child.  From 
this  I  conclude,  that  those  who  love  God  are  disposed  to 
him  as  I  was  to  my  child,  whom  I  so  dearly  loved  ;  they  can 


AN  INSTRUCTIVE   EXPERIENCE.  179 

never  forget  him,  nor  find  rest  and  pleasure  in  anything 
else."  —  Hist.  Ilora.  Miss,  among  North  American  Indians, 
p.  208. 

AN  INSTRUCTIVE  EXPERIENCE. 

At  a  prayer-meeting  in  Orissa,  India,  a  convert,  named 
Gunga,  a  native  preacher,  related  the  following  as  his  own 
experience  during  the  preceding  month.  After  alluding  to 
the  last  communion,  and  the  comfort  he  derived  from  it,  he 
says:  "I  took  my  Lord  home  with  me  to  my  house,  and 
there,  in  the  citadel  of  my  heart,  I  had  sweet  communion 
with  him.  0,  I  was  fed  !  I  was  fat !  I  was  filled  with  joy ! 
I  was  glorious  !  Well,  so  I  remained  for  fifteen  or  sixteen 
days.  I  placed  my  watchmen  at  every  door,  —  a  watchman 
at  the  door  of  my  lips,  a  watchman  at  the  door  of  my  eyes, 
a  watchman  at  the  door  of  my  ears,  a  watchman  at  every 
door.  And  all  my  watchmen  were  wakeful  and  vigilant.  0, 
how  happily  my  days  passed  !  I  went  to  the  bazaar  to 
preach,  and  I  spoke  with  aflection  and  boldness.  Thus  for 
sixteen  days  did  I  enjoy  uninterrupted  pleasure  with  the 
Lord,  in  the  citadel  of  my  heart,  while  my  watchmen  with 
sleepless  vigilance  guarded  all  the  avenues  to  my  soul. 
Thus  passed  the  first  half  of  the  month.  Well,  at  the  ex- 
piration of  sixteen  days,  the  enemy  made  a  vigorous  and 
sudden  attack  upon  me,  and  this  attack  was  by  means  of  a 
word  of  angry  abuse  from  a  certain  person.  0,  this  word 
was  one  of  his  fiery  darts  !  This  arrow  fell  into,  and  burned 
my  ear.  This  arrow  was  so  fiery  and  dreadful,  that  my 
watchman  became  afraid,  and  fled  from  his  post.  This  fiery 
arrow  burned  its  way  into  my  heart,  and  set  me  all  on  fire. 
Immediately  I  snatched  up  similar  arrows,  and  returned 
arrow  for  arrow,  word  for  word,  till  I  became  as  bad  as  the 
aggressor  —  till  I  became  defiled  with  sin,  and  filled  with 
burning  rage,  and  was  on  fire  of  the  devil.  And  now  I  lost 
my  peace  ;  my  Lord  was  gone  from  me,  and  I  went  and  sat 
down  under  the  lime-tree  in  my  garden,  and  there  I  mourned. 
So  soon  as  the  heat  of  the  contest  was  over,  alas  !  to  what 
a  miserable  condition  was  I  reduced  !  I  looked  here  and 
looked  there,  but  could  find  no  rest ;  my  pleasure  and  my 
Lord  were  gone  ;  my  sweet  experience  was  burned  to  ashes. 
For  several  days  I  was  very  sorrowful,  and  wept  much,  and 
I  went  into  my  garden,  and  sat  down  under  my  lime-tree, 
and  tried  to  pray.  The  enemy  now  came  to  me,  and  said, 
'  What  are  you  weeping  about  ?  You  sob  and  cry  like  a 
child      You  are  utterly  fallen  —  you  are  gone  ;  give  it  up, 


180  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS   ONE   TYPE. 

and  cease  to  weep.'  I  now  went  heavily  about  all  I  did, 
and  I  staj^ed  from  the  bazaar  for  three  days.  I  was  over- 
whelmed with  gloom  and  dejection.  I  sought  pardon  of 
the  Lord  with  diligence  and  importunity,  and  that  pardon 
I  obtained.  My  Saviour  has  now  fully  restored  my  peace. 
Thus  1  have  told  you  my  experience  through  the  past 
month  ;  and  I  close  by  telling  the  church  that  my  Lord  is 
again  in  the  citadel  of  my  heart,  and  that  my  watchmen  are 
again  at  their  posts.  When  my  Lord  came  back,  he  said 
to  me,  '  Why  did  you  allow  the  watchman  at  your  ear  to 
run  away?'  God  has  forgiven  me, — let  all  the  brethren 
forgive  me." — Sutton's  Orissa  and  its  Evangelization,  p. 
375. 

A  TESTAMENT  BETTEB.  THAN  A  HOUSE. 

In  the  island  of  Iluaheine,  one  of  the  Society  Islands,  a 
native  convert  had  his  house  burnt,  and  was  himself  con- 
siderably injured  in  attempts  to  save  his  little  property. 
He  called  on  the  missionary  to  procure  some  dressings  for 
his  wounds,  and,  on  receiving  words  of  sympathy  for  his 
misfortune,  he  said,  "True,  it  is  some  work  to  build  a 
house,  but  though  I  have  lost  my  house,  /  have  saved  my 
Testament,^'  pulling  it  out  of  his  bosom,  and  exhibiting  it 
with  great  satisfaction. — Miss.  Her.,  1825,  p.  21*7. 

KEDEEMED  OUT  OP  EVERY  LAND. 

Says  Rev.  Mr.  Freeman,  a  delegate  to  the  various  sta- 
tions under  the  care  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  "  I 
have  seen  men  of  many  kindreds,  tribes,  and  tongues,  sit- 
ting down  together  in  the  kingdom  of  God;  —  Europeans 
of  many  lands  ;  Americans  ;  the  native  tribes  of  Africa  ; 
Hottentots,  Caffres,  Bechuanas,  Corannas,  Griquas,  Zulus  ; 
and  then  Malagasy,  and  native  tribes  of  Mauritius  ;  and 
Cingalese,  and  men  of  Egypt,  and  Syria,  equally  partakers 
of  that  grace  which  brings  salvation  to  both  the  civilized 
and  the  savage."  What  an  illustration  of  the  truth,  that, 
in  all  nations,  whoso  feareth  God  and  worketh  righteous- 
ness is  accepted  of  him  ! 

FIDELITY  IN  PRAYER. 

A  missionary  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  in  South- 
ern India,  relates  of  a  native  convert  and  catechist,  Thomas, 
that  he  came  to  hira  one  evening  saying,  joyfully,  "  I  have 
very  good  news  to  tell.    I  have  made  out  that  my  wife  fears 


PIETY   IN   THE   NEGRO   DIALECT.  181 

God  more  than  she  fears  me.  The  other  day,  when  she  was 
engaged  in  secret  prayer,  I  called  her,  with  a  view  to  try 
if  she  is  more  attentive  to  her  duties  to  God,  than  to  her 
duties  to  me  ;  but,  to  my  great  jo}',  she  did  not  move.  I 
called  louder  and  more  imperatively,  a  second  and  a  third 
time  ;  still  she  gave  no  answer.  Some  minutes  after,  she 
came  out  of  the  room,  and  told  me  in  fear,  '  Be  not  angry 
that  I  did  not  answer  immediately,  when  you  called,  —  I 
was  prating.'  "  —  Hiss.  Her.,  March,  1834. 

PIETY  IN  THE  NEGRO  DIALECT. 

Eev.  Mr.  Burchell,  of  Montego  Bay,  Jamaica,  found,  on 
his  return  to  that  place,  a  high  degree  of  religious  interest 
among  the  negroes,  who  crowded  to  the  cliapel  on  the 
Sabbath,  offering  the  most  devout  and  earnest  thanks,  in 
language  like  the  following  :  "  0  Massa  Jesus,  we  tank  dee  ! 
0  Massa  Christ,  we  soul  bless  dee,  —  dee  take  we  shepherd 
home,  dee  give  him  strengt,  dee  bring  him  back,  —  bless  de 
Lord,  0  we  soul !  Now,  Massa  Jesus,  bless  we  shepherd  ; 
help  him  to  peak  dy  word, — help  him  to  peak  to  ebery 
sinner  in  de  four  corners  ob  dis  Montega  Bay,  dat  dey  may 
hear  and  fall  down  before  we  Saviour."  Mr.  B.  asked  one, 
named  Peter,  if  he  loved  Jesus  Christ ;  to  which  he  an- 
swered, "  Massa,  me  love  Christ  ?  —  dat  me  do,  to  me  very 
heart."  But  how  do  you  know  that  you  love  Christ  ? 
"  How  me  know  ?  Massa,  Christ  no  de  Son  of  God  ?  Him 
no  come  into  dis  world  and  pill  him  blood  for  poor  neger  ? 
How  me  know  me  love  Christ  ?  Who  me  love,  me  no  love 
him  ?  Who  worth  love,  if  him  no  woi't  ?  Me  love  him. 
Massa,  me  feel  it,  dat  how  me  know." 

A  pious  old  negro,  at  Kingston,  Jamaica,  was  inquired  of 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Caultart,  if  he  ever  prayed.  His  answer  was, 
"  Yes,  massa,  how  can  me  lib  widout  pray  ?  "  But,  it  was 
answered,  many  do  live  without  prayer,  and  once  you  did 
not  pray  ;  to  which  he  replied,  "  Yes,  massa,  but  since  me 
know  meself,  me  no  able  to  lib  if  me  no  pray."  He  was 
asked  to  lead  in  a  short  prayer,  when  he  said  he  "  did  not 
know  how  to  peak  to  one  great  God  who  make  all  tings  ;  " 
and  added,  "  But  do,  0,  dow  great  God,  cut  de  string  ob 
dy  poor  neger's  dumb  tongue,  dat  him  may  peak  de  trut ! 
0,  open  him  blind  eye,  dat  him  may  see  into  him  own 
heart !  Lord,  open  him  deaf  ear,  dat  him  may  hear  a  Jesus 
peak  to  hiin,  an  take  Jesus,  de  Son  of  God,  into  him  heart  1 
0  Lord,  dy  poor  neger  come  to  dee,  neber  let  him  go  again. 

Id 


182  THE    NEW    HEART ITS    ONE    TYPE. 

Elold  him  fast,  hold  him  fast,  good  Lord,  for  Jesus'  sake." 
—  Eng.  Bap::  Hiss.  Her.,  June,  1828. 

A  NEW    NAME. 

A  Moravian  missionary  in  Labrador  says,  "The  Esqui- 
maux, after  their  baptism,  when  they  receive  a  new  name, 
manifest,  for  the  most  part,  such  an  aversion  to  the  very 
remembrance  of  their  former  heathenish  condition,  that 
nothing-  affronts  them  more  than  to  be  called  by  their  old 
Esquimaux  name.  Their  former  life  thej^  are  Avont  to  look 
upon  almost  literally  as  a  state  of  death." —  U.  B.  Miss. 
Intel,  1844,  p.  420. 

A  SLEEPING  FRIEND. 

An  itinerant  native  teacher  in  New  Zealand  asked  an  old 
woman,  "  Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  pray  ?  "  —  "  Do  you 
mean  long  prayers,  as  those  sometimes  used  in  public  wor- 
ship V  —  "  No,  short  prayers,  like  that  of  the  publican,  — 
'God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.'"  She  replied,  "That 
prayei^  is  my  sleeping  friend,"  —  meaning  that  she  used  it 
night  and  morning,  and  all  times. 

HEART  UTTERANCES. 

Eev.  Mr.  Richardson,  of  Jamaica,  records  the  following 
simple  utterances  of  piety,  as  heard  by  him  at  a  meeting 
where  the  converted  negroes  were  accustomed  freely  to 
express  their  religious  feelings  : 

Said  one,  "  I  know  truly  I  great  sinner  indeed.  I  sin 
through  day,  through  night.  1  know,  if  God  not  been  mer- 
ciful to  me,  him  sent  me  to  place  of  punish  long  'fore  this. 
I  feel  all  better  inside  now ;  me  never  feel  so  before.  I 
nothing  to  look  back  to  in  the  world,  at  all,  at  all.  I  give 
up  me  wholly  heart  to  God." 

Another,  speaking  of  the  greatness  of  his  sins,  remarked, 
"Me  one  crucify  the  Lord  Jesus.  But  him  come  down  from 
heaven  to  die  for  we  poor  sinners.  Him  me  only  hope  ;  I 
put  me  wholly  trust  in  him." 

Another  remarked,  in  their  sententious,  broken  stylo,  "I 
consider,  and  say,  God  too  good  to  we  sinners.  The  world 
make  we  fool ;  the  world  deceive  we.  God  no  make  we 
sin  ;  we  bring  sin  to  we  self.  The  world  too  strong  for 
we  ;  our  own  goodness  won't  save  we.  We  all  dry 
bones  !  " 

Said  one,  "  Once  I  come  to  hear  word,  and  jest  as  I  go  out 


A   NOBLE   ANSWER.  183 

I  throw  it  away.  But  now  I  come  and  hear  it,  and  when  I 
go  away  I  consider  on  it,  and  it  do  me  good.  I  consider 
my  heart  not  as  it  was  before  time.  I  carry  my  heart  to 
God,  and  ask  liim  to  make  it  all  right.  I  do  think  it  right 
now,  and  I  pray  him  keep  it  right  till  I  die." 

Another,  evidently  under  deep  conviction,  spoke  as  fol- 
lows :  "  I  had  malice  in  my  heart  once,  and  I  thought  I 
would  keep  it  till  I  die.  But  lately  I  find  my  heart  trouble 
me  very  much.  I  begin  to  feel  I  must  give  up  my  malice, 
and  all  me  sins.  I  think  once  I  was  sealed  up  entirely,  I 
was  so  wicked.  Sometime  my  sins  almost  make  me  crazy. 
I  can't  say  I  quite  a  Christian  now,  but  I  hope  I  shall  look 
deeper,  and  make  good  work,  and  put  away  all  mj''  sins." 

Mr.  Richardson  adds,  "I  have  purposely  selected  such 
remarks  as  were  expressed  in  the  most  intelligible  English, 
that  they  might  be  the  better  understood.  These  broken, 
imperfect  heart  utterances  betokened  a  work  of  the  Divine 
Spii'it,  enlightening  the  soul,  and  giving  birth  to  new  hopes 
and  joys."  —  Am.  Miss.,  vol.  ix.,  p.  26. 

A  NOBLE   ANSWER. 

At  a  period  when  the  funds  of  the  Board  failed,  and  re- 
trenchment became  necessary,  Mr.  Ward,  of  the  Madura 
mission,  called  the  teachers  of  the  schools  around  him,  and 
told  them  frankly  how  the  case  stood.  "Here,"  said  he, 
"  are  so  many  rupees — about  half  as  many  as  I  had  last 
year.  What  shall  I  do  ?  If  each  one  of  j^ou  say,  I  want 
all  I  am  entitled  to,  I  must  dismiss  at  once  at  least  four 
schools.  I  will  leave  you  for  a  few  moments  to  talk  over 
the  matter,  and  when  I  come  in  you  can  tell  me  what  is 
your  decision."  Returning  in  about  half  an  hour,  he  in- 
quired of  the  oldest  teacher  what  conclusion  they  had  ar- 
rived at.  He  replied  parabolically,  thus  :  "  If  a  father  has 
ten  sons,  and  unfortunately  loses  half  his  property,  will  his 
sons  allow  him  to  turn  away  five  of  their  number  to  starve, 
while  the  rest  are  supported  in  comfort?  No!  these  sons 
will  consent  to  live  ua  less,  and  to  have  the  parent  divide 
the  amount  equally  among  them.  This  is  our  decision.  We 
are  willing  to  live  on  rice  congee,  rather  than  have  any  of 
our  number  dismissed."  This  generous  and  spirited  answer 
was  extremely  gratifying,  as  an  evidence  of  the  true  spirit 
of  missions,  and  as  enabling  the  missionary  to  commence 
the  ten  schools,  as  usual,  without  the  dispersion  which  had 
seemed  inevitable. — Miss.  Her.,  181-2,  p.  180. 


184  THE   NEW  HEART—  ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

BELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  letters  written  chiefly  to 
Rev.  William  Yate,  missionary  in  New  Zealand  for  the  six 
years  preceding  1833,  by  native  converts  or  inquirers.  They 
were  written  at  his  request,  and  published  "  as  illustrative 
of  the  workings  of  natural  feeling,  and  also  of  the  opera- 
tions of  divine  grace."  The  translation,  Mr.  Yate  says, 
has  been  made  as  close  and  literal  as  the  English  idiom 
would  allow.  The  first  extract  is  from  the  letter  of  Wa- 
hanga,  who  saj^s  : 

"  Sir,  Mr.  Yate  :  Listen  to  my  speech  to  you.  Great  is 
my  heart  towards  God,  because  he  has  taken  care  of  me  all 
my  days,  and  has  shown  the  greatest  extent  of  love  for  me. 
It  is  good  for  me  to  be  sanctified  by  him,  and,  by  being  bap- 
tized, to  be  let  to  go  into  his  holy  church  on  earth,  in  order 
that  when  I  die,  I  may  be  taken  into  his  church  above  in 
the  heavens.  Who  can  bear  the  pain  of  the  fire  which 
burns  forever  ?  I  want  to  make  haste  to  Jesus  Clirist, 
that  I  may  be  saved  from  it.  As  the  wind  digs  up  the 
waves  of  the  sea,  so  the  devil  digs  up  sin  in  my  heart.  He 
is  always,  always,  this  day  and  that  day,  at  work  there.  If 
I  wake  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  he  wakes  also,  to  contend 
with  me,  and  to  hold  fast  my  soul,  that  I  may  not  fly  to  my 
Saviour." 

Another,  Pahuia,  the  wife  of  Wahanga,  writes,  in  closing 
her  epistle,  "  You  say  that,  bad  as  it  is,  Jesus  Christ  will 
wash  my  soul  in  his  blood,  and  make  it  good  and  clean. 
That  is  what  I  want.  I  want  to  be  admitted  into  his  church, 
and  to  be  made  his  child,  and  to  be  taught  his  lessons  out  of 
his  book,  and  to  be  taken  care  of  by  him,  and  to  be  done 
what  with  —  done  what  with  —  done  what  with  ?  Thou,  0 
Lord  Jesus,  say  what !  Mr.  Yate,  listen  ;  this  is  all  from 
me,  —  from  Pahuia." 

Kaheke,  the  son  of  a  chief,  writes  :  "  I  wish  to  ask  you 
how  I  am  to  be  brought  to  stand  nearest  to  the  presence  of 
the  Saviour.  Perhaps  by  baptism  I  may  be  brought  near  ; 
perhaps  by  praying  for  a  new  heart.  Mr.  Yate,  you  say 
how.  Let  me  take  upon  me  a  new  name  ;  for,  though  the 
native  chiefs  scoff  at  me,  and  say,  '  Who  is  Kaheke,  that 
he  should  believe  ?  it  is  all  nonsense,'  I  am  not  ashamed 
of  saying  to  everybody,  that  Jesus  died  for  my  sins,  and  is 
my  Saviour  and  my  God." 

The  letter,  from  Avhich  the  following  is  extracted,  was 
evidently  written  with  some  true  experience  of  the  guilt 


RELIGIOUS   EXPERIENCE   IN   NEW   ZEALAND.  185 

and  perverseness  of  the  natural  heart ;  and  the  truth  is  told 
with  a  boldness  and  force,  indicating  not  only  honesty,  but 
the  originality  and  strength  of  the  New  Zealand  intellect. 
The  writer's  name  is  Warerau.  lie  says  :  "I  am  only 
evil  —  I  am  altogether  sin.  Sin  is  in  my  head,  and  sin  is 
in  my  heart.  The  works,  the  words,  the  thoughts,  the  all 
things  in  my  mind,  are  sin.  And  I  love  lying  words  more 
than  truth.  I  cannot  help  sometimes  crying  at  the  sinful- 
ness of  my  heart  towards  God,  and  because  my  heart  is 
inclined  to  tease  the  Saviour  every  day,  and  not  to  do  his 
bidding.  Do  you  remember  telling  me,  in  the  blacksmith's 
shop,  when  you  and  Mr.  Clarke  were  making  the  plough, 
and  when  Pompey  was  kicking  in  the  yard,  that  my  heart 
was  more  stubborn  than  that  horse's  ?  I  was  angry,  then, 
and  I  thought  Mr.  Davis  tells  lies  ;  but  no,  it  is  true.  I 
am  stubborn  to  my  teachers  ;  I  am  stubborn  with  God  ;  I 
am  stubborn  to  do  evil;  I  am  deaf  to  do  good.  How  shall 
I  escape  the  anger  of  God  for  the  evil  of  my  heart  ?  I  am 
not  able  to  write,  for  I  have  no  thoughts  towards  Jesus 
Christ ;  my  thoughts  turn  more  towards  the  father  of  lies. 
Will  you  not  pray  that  Jesus  would  pour  out  his  Holy 
Spirit  upon  me,  that  I  may  watch,  and  pray,  and  believe, 
and  have  belief  fastened  in  my  heart  ?  " 

Henry  and  Rebecca  Wahanga  write  as  one  :  "  My  soul 
is  happy,  because  it  knows  something  of  the  love  of  God  ; 
and  1  wish  to  know  more,  and  to  do  his  bidding.  My 
old  heart  is  not  carried  away  yet ;  it  remains  inside  me, 
and  when  I  am  on  my  bed  at  night,  my  heart  says,  '  Henry, 
do  something  that  is  not  good  to-morrow.'  And  then  my 
thoughts  think  about  it ;  and  then  my  thoughts  tell  me  that 
it  was  wrong ;  and  my  heart  tells  me  I  am  an  unbelieving, 
bad  man  ;  and  then  Satan  comes  and  tells  me  I  am  none  of 
Jesus  Christ's,  but  of  his,  and  shall  go  to  his  place,  and  do 
his  work  forever,  and  ever,  and  ever.  Mr.  Yate,  what  do 
you  think  ?  " 

John  Taua  writes  :  "  I  have  been  many  moons  thinking 
about  the  holy  feast  which  Jesus  Christ  gave  to  his  disci- 
ples, and  told  everybody  to  eat  in  remembrance  of  him.  It 
is  not  a  native's  feast,  for  in  New  Zealand  everybody  eats  as 
much  as  he  is  able,  and  this  is  a  feast  of  belief.  If  my  body 
were  hungry,  I  sliould  not  be  satisfied  with  a  piece  like  a 
crumb,  nor  with  a  drop  that  will  go  in  a  cockle-shell  ;  but 
my  soul  is  satisfied,  my  heart  is  satisfied,  though  it  be  a 
crumb,  and  a  drop.  The  thoughts  within  me  yesterday 
16* 


186  THE   NEW    HEART  —  ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

were  perhaps  right,  perhaps  wrong-.  I  said  to  myself,  '  I 
am  going"  to  eat  and  to  drink  at  a  table  placed  before  us  by 
the  great  Chief  of  the  world.  I  must  be  very  good,  and 
must  make  myself  good  within,  or,  when  he  sees  me,  he  will 
show  that  he  is  angry.'  And  then  I  thought,  'I  will  not 
think  anything  that  is  not  riglit,  nor  do  anything  that  is  not 
straight  to-day,  and  then  God  will  see  that  my  heart  is  be- 
coming good.'  But,  Mr.  Yate,  perhaps  you  will,  and  per- 
haps you  will  not,  believe  it.  I  thought  no  good  thoughts, 
and  did  no  good  works  all  day,  and  yet  I  was  still,  and  not 
angry  with  mj'self — not  at  all.  Now,  my  teacher,  you  say 
what  I  am  to  do  before  the  next  Lord's  supper." 

From  the  chief,  Hotaiwa  :  —  "  Finished  is  the  road 
through  the  wood,  for  your  horse  and  you  to  come  to  my 
residence  at  Mangakahia.  Come,  come,  come ;  we  are 
waiting  to  hear  you  say  it  is  a  good  road.  Perhaps  you 
will  say  it  is  good  —  perhaps  bad.  We  were  thirty-five 
men,  three  weeks  and  four  days,  and  we  all  say,  '  No,  no 
payment  must  we  have  for  this  work.'  It  is  a  road  for  the 
teachers  to  come  to  teach  us,  and  tell  us  about  Jesus  Christ. 
This  is  our  payment  —  this  is  our  satisfaction.  You  have 
only  been  four  times  to  Mangakahia  ;  but  now  the  road  is 
made  you  must  come  every  moon,  that  we  may  not  forget 
your  words,  nor  your  books,  nor  the  catechism,  which  you 
teach  us." 

From  Heniy  George  Watkins  Warn  :  —  "  We  native  men 
all  knew,  before  you  came  to  our  land,  that  the  spirit  lives 
after  the  body  is  dead  ;  but  our  thoughts  and  our  words 
were  not  straight  about  it.  I  will  say  what  my  thoughts 
now  are.  If  I  believe  on  Jesus  Christ,  and  lean  on  him, 
and  altogether  inside  of  my  heart  believe  him,  and  then  do 
his  bidding,  my  spirit  will  not  be  driven  into  darkness  at 
last.  But  if  I  believe  jokingly,  and  my  belief  does  not 
make  me  do  the  bidding  of  Jesus  Christ,  then  I  think  I 
shall  not  see  God  ;  I  shall  be  full  of  fear  to  look  at  him,  and 
no  joy  will  ever  come  to  my  heart.  This  is  my  thought 
about  the  last.  Now,  my  father,  who  art  good  to  me,  and  to 
my  two  children,  Caroline  and  Cosmo,  saj'-  you,  is  this  right  ? 
I  want  every  day  to  be  tauglit,  and  to  have  my  heart  more 
Christified,  as  I  shall  not  live  long.  JNfy  sickness  in  my 
throat  is  killing  me,  and  before  you  come  back  from  Eng- 
land to  this  New  Zealand  land,  I  shall  die.  Remcnilx'r,  I 
have  been  your  bo}'  ever  since  you  first  came  to  the  Keri- 
keri ;  and,  if  I  die  before  you  come  back,  my  childreu  are 


RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE  IN   NEW  ZEALAND.  187 

to  be  yours,  and  you  are  to  teach  them  all  about  God  and 
Jesus  Christ,  that  if  I  go  to  hell  I  may  not  see  them  there  ; 
and  if  I  go  to  heaven,  as  I  have  thoughts  in  me  which  say 
that  I  shall,  I  may  see  them,  and  you,  in  that  happy  place  ; 
when  I  shall  not  say  my  neck  is  bad,  nor  my  heart  cold 
towards  God.  This  is  my  farewell  letter  to  you,  before  you 
go  to  England." 

From  Hongi :  —  "  Here  I  am,  sitting  in  the  veranda  of 
my  house  at  Ohaiawai,  thinking  within  me  that  I  shall  not 
see  your  face  again,  nor  hear  the  sound  of  your  horse's  feet. 
The  soles  of  his  feet,  with  you  upon  his  back,  will  not  leave 
a  mark  behind  them  on  my  ground  again  till  I  am  dead,  and 
Paitaro  is  become  the  head  chief  Perhaps  I  shall  die,  per- 
haps not.  You  say  you  shall  return  ;  but  I  am  thinking  no. 
You  will  not  leave  again  your  good  country  for  this  bad 
country,  and  this  very  bad  and  unbelieving  people." 

From  Hamo  Kohi  Rawiti : —  "  Our  father,  Mr.  Yate.  Be 
strong  in  contention  with  your  friends  in  England,  whom 
you  say  you  are  going  to  ask  to  build  us  a  house  of  prayer 
at  the  Waimate.  Why  are  English  people  loving  in  their 
hearts  to  us  native  men,  whom  they  have  not  seen  ?  Why 
do  they  wish  i;s  to  have  a  large  house  of  prayer  here  ?  Is 
it  God  that  makes  them  love  us,  and  give  their  money  to 
help  us  ?  We  will  cause  the  sweat  to  run  down  our  bodies, 
when  making  bricks  to  build  God's  house  with  ;  and  we 
will  work  by  day  and  by  night  to  build  it  and  make  it  large, 
if  you  will  say  how.  Go  in  peace,  Mr.  Yate  ;  go  to  Eng- 
land, and  pray  for  us,  while  we  pray  for  ourselves.  Per- 
haps we  shall  forget  to  pray  for  ourselves,  perhaps  not. 
This  is  all  from  your  son." 

From  Wariki,  to  Mr.  Clarke  and  Mr.  Yate  :  —  "I  wish  to 
know,  and  am  saying  within  me,  if  I  have  prayed  with 
my  heart.  Say  you,  if  I  have  prayed  to  God  with  my 
heart,  should  I  say  no,  and  not  do  his  bidding,  as  the  Bible 
says  we  must,  and  tells  us  how  ?  And  should  I  flutter 
about  here  like  a  bird  without  wings,  or  like  a  beast  with- 
out legs,  or  like  a  fish  whose  tail  and  fins  a  native  man  has 
cut  off,  if  I  had  love  in  my  heart  towards  God  ?  0,  I  wish 
I  was  not  all  lip  and  mouth  in  my  prayers  to  God !  I  am 
thinking  that  I  may  be  likened  to  stagnant  water,  that  is 
not  good,  that  nobody  drinks,  and  that  does  not  rim  down 
in  brooks,  upon  the  banks  of  which  kumera  and  trees  grow. 
My  heart  is  all  rock,  all  rock,  and  no  good  thing  will  grow 
upon  it.     The  lizard  and  the  snail  run  over  the  rocks,  and 


188  THE   NEW   HEART — ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

all  evil  runs  over  my  heart.  Mr.  Clarke  and  Mr.  Yate, 
teach  me  more  of  the  Gospel  of  God,  that  I  may  try  if  I 
cannot  do  good,  and  not  do  evil.  Perhaps  God  does  not  lis- 
ten to  native  speaking* ;  perhaps  he  does  not  open  his  ears 
to  the  native  language,  and  therefore  he  does  not  hear  my 
prayers.  Perhaps,  if  I  talked  English,  he  would  listen  to 
what  I  ask  ;  perhaps  he  would  not.  I  am  jealous  of  my 
sayings  ;  I  am  fearful  that  I  say  wrong ;  I  know  that  I  do 
wrong.     Tell  me  how  to  work  right,  and  to  think  straight." 

From  William,  to  Mr.  Clarke:  —  "  I  have  great  desires 
for  another  book  ;  my  wife  always  wants  to  read  mine  when 
I  am  reading  it  myself;  and  she  reads  it  in  the  morning,  in 
the  middle  of  the  day,  and  all  day.  I  have  said  to  her,  '  I 
must  tie  up  my  Bible  in  my  garment,  and  take  it  to  all 
places  that  I  go  to,  and  when  I  am  tired,  I  sit  down  in  the 
fern  and  read  it.'  Do  you  say  if  you  will  let  me  have 
another  Bible  for  my  wife,  and  one  for  Paparangi,  who  can 
now  read.  Paparangi  has  a  large  pig  for  a  payment,  and  I 
will  work  for  my  wife's  book." 

The  letters,  from  which  the  foregoing  are  but  a  few  ex- 
tracts, were  written  some  twenty  years  ago,  when  the 
degree  of  native  cultivation  and  intelligence  were  by  no 
means  what  they  are  now.  Under  the  circumstances,  their 
style  and  spirit  are  altogether  remarkable.  The  force  of 
intellect  which  they  exhibit  shows  what  the  New  Zealander 
is  capable  of  becoming.  Their  frankness,  meek  simplicity, 
and  tone  of  affection,  indicate  a  heart  susceptible  of  the 
highest  degree  of  Christian  refinement.  And,  what  is  of 
peculiar  interest,  they  furnish  proof  of  a  clear  knowledge 
of  leading  scriptural  truths,  an  experience  of  the  plagues 
of  the  natural  heart,  and  an  understanding  of  the  doctrines 
of  regeneration  by  the  Spirit,  and  salvation  by  Christ. 
Many  and  important  are  the  reflections  which  arise,  on  the 
perusal  of  such  epistles  from  a  people  but  lately  despised 
as  a  worthless  and  hopeless  race  of  cannibal  savages. 

THE    DEVIL'S    FLAG. 

It  has  always  been  a  custom  with  Hindoo  idolaters  to 
wear  their  hair  long,  and  fastened  in  a  knot  at  the  back  of 
their  head.  With  this  they  bind  up  one  or  more  of  the 
sacred  flowers  which  it  is  customary  to  offer  to  the  idols  of 
their  worship.  A  high-caste  Brahmin,  as  stated  in  the 
London  Misdonary  31agazine  for  1841,  who  had  recently 
been  converted  to  Christianity,  was  advised  to  cut  off  this 


VIEWS   EESPECTING    THE   DEAD,  189 

hair ;  to  which  he  replied  very  promptly,  "  Yes,  it  is  the 
deciVs  flag."  According-ly,  the  Hag  was  immediately  cut 
off,  and  vso  great  was  the  change  made  in  his  appearance, 
that  his  friends  hardly  knew  him.  A  well-educated  Hindoo 
youth  said  to  him,  one  day,  "  What,  3'ou,  a  learned  Brah- 
min, give  up  your  religion?"  The  Brahmin  rejoined,  "I 
have  not  given  up  my  religion  ;  I  am  now  come  into  my 
religion  ;  before,  I  was  out  of  it."  The  devil  has  as  many 
different  flags  as  he  can  tempt  Christians  to  use,  and  if  all 
would  be  as  prompt  to  take  them  down  as  this  Brahmin  was, 
the  cross  would  suffer  less  reproach. 

THE    TWO  AFBICANS. 

Said  an  African,  who  had  just  learned  to  read  the  Bible, 
"  I  cannot  sleep  when  I  have  got  hold  of  a  new  chapter  ;  " 
to  which  his  companion  replied,  "I  have  a  right  to  speak 
first.  Don't  you  know  that,  as  regards  me,  I  light  my  fire, 
lie  down  beside  it,  and  read  by  the  light  which  it  yields,  till 
I  can  hold  out  no  longer  for  sleep." 

VIEWS  RESPECTING  THE  DEAD. 

Christians  are  apt  to  forget  their  immense  obligations 
to  the  Gospel,  for  the  light  it  sheds  on  the  grave  and  the 
state  of  the  departed.  Something  of  this  is  seen  in  the 
altered  views  and  feelings  of  a  New  Zealander,  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  death  of  a  member  of  the  mission  school,  — 
an  interesting  girl,  named  Anna.  As  soon  as  she  expired, 
the  mother,  uncle,  and  other  relatives,  set  up  a  loud  wail- 
ing, after  the  manner  of  the  heathen,  and  would  have  gone 
on  with  a  heathen  funeral.  The  missionary  remonstrated, 
and  tried  to  inculcate  Gospel  views  ;  after  which,  the  step- 
father of  the  deceased  came  forward,  and  said,  "I  have  a 
word  to  say;  I  wish  this  girl  (Anna)  to  be  left  here;  she 
belongs  to  the  school,  and  with  the  school  she  must  now 
lie."  The  uncle  now  became  calm,  having  been  under  pre- 
vious Christian  instruction,  and  said,  "Yes,  it  is  all  right; 
she  must  lie  here  with  the  school."  Then,  with  a  slow, 
solemn  step,  he  moved  to  the  head  of  the  corpse,  and,  sit- 
ting down,  continued  his  speech  :  "This  is  a  branch;  she 
has  gone  to  the  root.  Christ  says,  '  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are 
the  branches.'  Yes,  I  say,  she  is  a  branch,  and  she  has 
gone  to  Jesus  Christ.  I  have  no  feelings  as  to  where  she 
should  lie.     If  it  were  my  old  customs,  I  would  have  taken 


190  THE   NEW   HEAET  —  ITS   ONE   TYPE. 

her  to  Wangaroa ;  but  now  she  is  merely  dust.  He  made 
Adam  of  the  dust,  and  she  will  return  to  the  dust ;  but  her 
spirit  goes  to  the  Saviour.  Why  should  we  make  so  much 
of  the  body  ?  The  spirit  is  the  only  thing  really  worthy  of 
thought.  Go,  Anna,  go  to  your  Saviour  !  —  go  along  the 
road  of  faith.  Yours  was  the  good  departure."  The  mis- 
sionary, Mr.  Maunsell,"  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
says,  "  I  was  so  struck  with  the  suddenness  of  the  speech, 
and  with  the  high  dramatic  effect  of  the  whole  proceeding, 
that  I  particularly  noted  every  word  of  it." — Chh.  Mias. 
Gleaner,  1853,  p.  65. 

A  SOUTH  SEA  ISLAND  WITNESS. 

After  the  inhabitants  of  Rurutu,  a  South  Sea  Island,  had 
embraced  Christianity,  and  publicly  destroyed  their  idols,  a 
public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Christian  chapel,  which  was 
beautifully  lighted  up  for  the  occasion.  Addresses  were 
made  by  natives,  of  which  several  specimens  are  given. 
The  two  following  will  suffice  to  indicate  the  surprising 
clearness  and  maturity  of  mind,  acquired  so  soon  after 
emerging  from  the  darkness  of  paganism.  Tuahine,  a 
deacon,  said,  "Thus  the  gods  made  with  hands  shall  per- 
ish. There  they  are,  tied  with  cords  !  Yes,  their  very 
names  also  are  changed  1  Formerly,  they  were  called  the 
'  gods  ; '  now  they  ai'e  called  evil  spirits.  Their  glory,  look  ! 
it  is  bird's  feathers,  soon  rotten  ;  but  our  God  is  the  same 
forever." 

Another  native  speaker  said,  "Look  at  the  chandeliers  1 
Oro  (an  idol)  never  taught  us  anything  like  this  I  Look  at 
our  wives,  in  their  gowns  and  bonnets,  and  compare  our- 
selves with  the  poor  natives  of  Rurutu,  when  they  were 
drifted  to  our  island,  and  mark  the  superiority  !  And  by 
what  means  have  we  obtained  it  ?  By  our  own  invention 
and  goodness  ?  No  !  it  is  to  the  good  name  of  Jesus  we 
are  indebted.  Then  let  us  send  this  name  to  other  lands, 
that  others  may  enjoy  the  same  benefits."  —  Williams's  Miss. 
Enterprises  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  62. 

NO  FIGHTING  OVER  THE  BIBLE. 

Dui'ing  a  public  excitement  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the 
king  sunmioned  a  council,  with  the  intention  of  deposing 
Kinau,  the  heiress  of  Kaahumanu.  But  she  met  him  in 
the  council,  and  said,  "  We  cannot  fight  with  the  word  of 


THE   INDIAN   CONVERT  AND    THE   SABBATH.  191 

God  between  us,  but  we  cannot  approve  of  your  rejecting 
it."  After  this  there  was  no  quarrel,  but  instead  of  it  the 
king  confirmed  Kinau  in  her  authority  next  to  himself. 

AFRICAN  SIMPLICITY. 

No  people  are  more  susceptible  of  gratitude  for  favors,  or 
more  affectionate  towards  their  teachers,  than  the  Africans. 
Says  Rev.  Mr.  Beal,  missionary  in  West  Africa,  after  a  short 
absence  from  his  station,  "  We  were  heartil}^  welcomed  by 
our  people,  many  of  whom  came  to  express  their  pleasure 
at  our  return.  '  Massa  stay  long,  Missis  stay  long,  this 
time,'  &c.  All  were  ready  to  tell  us  that  '  plenty  missiona- 
ries come,'  there  having  been  a  fresh  arrival.  One  observed, 
'Ah,  white  man  he  no  fear  dead  (death)  like  black;  if  he 
see  danger  so,  he  can't  go  ;  but  white  —  this  come  he  die  ; 
t'other  come  again.  Ah,  true,  white  he  love  we  poor  black 
too  much  ;  hope  God  will  spare  them  life.'  Another  said, 
when  gathering  a  few  pence  for  the  society,  and  one  or  two 
began  to  make  some  demur,  '  What,  you  go  grudge  two  or 
three  copper  ?  Society  send  missionary  here  many  year  to 
we.  Mr.  Renner  come,  he  die  ;  Mr.  Greber  come,  he  die  ; 
Mr.  Davie  come,  he  die  ;  Mr.  Bates  come,  he  die  ;  and 
plenty  more  for  we  ; '  and,  with  a  great  deal  of  energy,  he 
added,  '  What  you  can  think  about  ?  Black  can  do  this 
fashion  ?  We  can  send  we  child  —  he  die  ;  we  can  send 
t'oder  one  again?  No,  neber.' " — Chh.  Miss.  Bee,  1842, 
p.  214. 

THE  INDIAN  CONVERT  AND  THE  SABBATH. 

John  Brown,  a  Cherokee,  and  brother  of  Catharine  and 
David  Brown,  was  among  the  first  converts  to  Christianity 
in  that  nation.  The  Bible  was  to  him  an  exceedingly  pre- 
cious book,  and  he  took  it  in  the  strictest  sense  for  his  rule 
of  conduct.  This  was  illustrated  in  his  regard  for  the  Sab- 
bath. He  lived  upon  a  public  road,  and  his  house  was  an 
asylum  for  travellers.  Before  his  conversion,  he  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  entertaining  them  on  the  Sabbath,  but  now, 
from  studying  the  fourth  commandment,  he  began  to  doubt 
the  propriety  of  this  course.  Anxious  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion, he  rode  three  miles  to  Mr.  Potter,  the  missionary,  and 
as  soon  as  he  entered  the  house  he  requested  Mr.  Potter  to 
get  the  Bible  and  read  the  commandments  till  he  should 
tell  him  to  stop.     When  he  came  to  the  word  stranger,  in 


192  THE   NEW   HEART — ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

the  fourth  commandment,  he  said,  "That's  the  place, — 
stranger,  —  what  that  mean?"  Mr.  Potter  explained,  but 
expressed  no  opinion  in  this  particular  case,  wishing  to 
leave  the  inquirer  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience, 
with  the  commandment  before  him.  Mr.  Brown  soon  settled 
the  question,  and  took  his  stand  resolutel}^  refusing  to  be  a 
partaker  in  other  men's  sins.  This  often  brought  on  him 
severe  censure,  but  he  was  not  to  be  sliaken  from  his  pur- 
pose. When  a  traveller  represented  himself  as  suttering, 
he  would  give  him  something  to  eat,  but  would  take  no 
pay,  because  he  would  not  trade  on  the  Sabbath.  About  a 
week  before  his  death,  he  called  his  family  around  him,  and 
exhorted  them  all  to  live  near  to  God,  and  especially  to 
remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  hol}^,  stating  several 
particulars  which  should  be  attended  to  before  the  day  of 
rest  began. 

"WHEN  I  WOULD  DO   GOOD,"   ETC.  — Rom.  7:   21. 

"  I  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,"  said  a  converted  New 
Zealander  to  a  missionary,  "  for  the  wickedness  of  my 
heart ;  it  is  always  contending  for  evil.  Until  you  came 
and  made  known  among  us  the  word  of  God,  we  had  noth- 
ing of  this  sort ;  now  one  heart  is  continually  teasing  the 
other  to  do  wrong,  and  the  other  to  do  right,  and  between 
them  both,  I  have  no  rest.  I  wish  to  do  right,  but  I  do 
not  understand  all  this  quarrelling."  Such,  essentially, 
was  the  experience  of  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  As 
in  water  face  answereth  to  face,  so  the  heart  of  man  to  man. 
—  Pres.  For.  Miss.,  1853,  p.  4. 

PE.ECIOUSNESS  OF  THE  BIBLE. 

An  old  negro  in  the  West  Indies,  residing  at  a  considera- 
ble distance  from  the  missionary,  but  exceedingly  desirous 
of  learning  to  read  the  Bible,  came  to  him  regularly  for  a 
lesson.  He  made  but  little  progress,  and  his  teacher,  almost 
disheartened,  intimated  his  fears  that  his  labors  would  be 
lost,  and  asked  him,  "  Had  you  not  better  give  it  over  ?  " — 
"  No,  massa,"  said  he,  with  great  energy,  "me  never  give 
it  over  till  me  die  ;  "  and,  pointing  with  his  finger  to  John 
3:  16,  —  "God  so  loved  the  world,"  &c.,  —  added,  with 
touching  emphasis,  "It  is  worth  all  de  labor,  to  be  able  to 
read  dat  one  sina-le  verse." 


THE    NEW    COMMANDMENT    ILLUSTEATED.  193 

AN"  ARMENIAN'S   IDEA   OF    SINCERITY. 

A  pious  Armenian,  at  Constantinople,  in  a  confession 
made  to  a  bigoted  priest,  refused  to  follow  the' usual  form 
of  confession,  but  lamented  his  sins  against  God,  in  not 
keeping  his  commandments,  and  quoted  the  Scriptures  which 
include  all  under  sin,  and  which  teach  that  a  profession,  and 
sajang  Lord,  Lord,  ai'e  nothing  without  obedience  ;  and  he 
added,  as  a  further  admonition  to  the  priest,  "  If  a  child 
always  says  to  his  parent,  father,  but  when  the  father  says, 
bring  me  water,  the  child  does  not  bring  it;  or  gives  him 
some  other  command,  and  the  child  does  not  obey,  is  not 
that  child  worthy  of  chastisement  ?  Is  it  of  any  use  for  the 
child  always  to  say,  father,  father,  so  long  as  it  is  disobedi- 
ent?"—i/m.  Her.,  Dec,  1836. 

THE  LITTLE  GIRL  AND   THE  SABBATH. 

A  little  girl,  belonging  to  one  of  the  schools  at  the  Madura 
mission,  was  directed  by  her  mother  to  prepare  materials 
for  cleansing  the  house  on  the  next  day,  which  was  the 
Sabbath.  The  daughter  remonstrated,  saying,  "  Why, 
mother,  to-morrow  is  the  Sabbath  ;  how  can  we  work  on 
that  day  ?  "  The  mother  replied  that  the  house  would  be 
unclean,  and  how  could  they  live  in  it.  "  But  it  is  God's 
command,  mother,"  the  little  girl  replied,  "that  we  should 
do  no  work  on  the  Sabbath,  and  that  we  should  sanctif}'' 
that  day  ; "  and  she  repeated  the  fourth  commandment. 
"And  besides,  mother,"  she  said,  "if  our  hearts  are  clean, 
we  shall  not  be  troubled  about  the  impurity  of  the  house." 
The  result  was,  that  no  work  was  done  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
the  mother  soon  gave  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart.  — 3Iiss. 
Her.,  1S41,  p.  135. 

THE  NEW  COMMANDMENT  ILLUSTRATED. 

During  the  terrible  persecutions  in  Madagascar,  a  com- 
pany of  native  Christians,  overjoyed  at  the  escape  of  one 
of  their  number  from  death,  joined,  imprudently,  in  some 
public  demonstrations  of  delight.  The  queen  and  some  of 
her  officers,  seeing  them  marching,  in  white  dresses,  were 
very  much  astonished  ;  and  the  queen  inquired  who  they 
were.  The  officers  told  her  that  those  in  white  were  native 
Christians;  and  they  added,  "You  would  be  surprised  at 
the  love  of  those  people  one  for  another.  When  any  one 
of  them  happens  to  be  in  distress,  they  all  feel  distress ; 
17 


194  THE   NEW   HEART  —  ITS    ONE   TYPE. 

and,  when  any  one  is  happy,  they  are  all  happy.  When 
any  are  poor  and  destitute,  they  form  a  society  to  assist 
them,"  —  meaning  that  they  collected  money  for  each 
other's  relief.  The  queen  saw,  by  this,  the  uncompromis- 
ing character  of  the  religion  she  had  to  contend  with,  and 
resolved  on  firmer  measures  of  resistance.  —  Narralive  of 
Persecutions  in  Madagascar,  p.  102. 

A   CHRISTIAM"   INDIAN'S    ■WISH. 

Martin  Luther,  a  Christian  Indian,  of  the  Ojibwa  tribe, 
addressing  a  religious  meeting,  said,  "  I  wish  that  all  of  us 
who  are  Christians  were  like  little  children.  When  children 
are  afraid,  they  run  to  their  parents.  So  I  wish  we  might 
run  to  God.  And  I  wish  all  I  now  see  were  like  men  half 
frozen.  When  we  are  travelling  in  the  winter,  and  see  a 
little  fire  at  a  distance,  we  go  to  it  and  warm  ourselves. 
When  there  is  but  a  little,  we  huddle  around  it ;  so  I  wish 
we  might  come  to  God,  and  be  warmed  by  his  love,  and 
partake  of  his  mercy  and  goodness."  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1843, 
p.  353. 

SINGULAR    PROOF   OF  DECLENSION. 

The  earliest  converts  to  Christianity  in  Africa  were  very 
earnest  and  regular  in  their  private  devotions.  They  had 
no  closets,  or  rooms  for  retirement,  but  each  had  a  separate 
spot  in  the  thicket,  to  which  he  used  to  go.  The  several 
paths  to  these  little  bethels,  became  distinctly  marked  ; 
and,  when  any  one  began  to  decline  in  the  ways  of  God, 
it  was  soon  manifest  to  his  fellows,  and  they  would  re- 
mind him  of  his  duty,  by  saying,  "  Broder,  de  gi^ass  groiv  on 
your  path  yonder.^' 

DENOMINATIONAL  DISTINCTIONS  LOST. 

A  missionary  of  the  English  Baptist  Board,  writing  from 
Sumatra,  soon  after  the  arrival  of  himself  and  others  at  that 
place,  says,  "  lie  re  the  distinctions  of  Baptist,  Independ- 
ent, Churchman,  &c.,  are  all  lost  in  that  of  Christian, 
amongst  those  who  have  felt  the  power  of  divine  grace. 
When  a  vessel  comes  to  an  anchor  in  this  harbor,  the  first 
inquiry  amongst  them  is,  whether  or  not  there  are  any  of 
the  denomination  of  Christians  on  board.  If  so,  every 
other  distinction  is  lost ;  yea,  not  even  asked  or  spoken 
of,  and  he  is  received  as  a  brother  in  Christ.     This  you  will 


THE    TERM    "  BRETHREN."  195 

say  is  a  truly  delightful  feature  in  the  place ;  and  you  will 
believe  me  when  1  say  that  nothing  appears  to  us  so  weak 
and  pitiable  in  our  native  country,  at  this  distance,  as  the 
strife  and  contention  among  different  denominations  of  pro- 
fessing Christians.  This  must  be  a  work  of  the  devil." — • 
Eng.  Bap.  Miss.  Her.,  March,  1820. 

THE  TERM  "BRETHREN." 

The  following  speech  was  made  by  a  native  of  Mangaia, 
one  of  the  South  Sea  Islands.  Addressing  the  church-mem- 
bers, he  said,  "Brethren,"  —  and,  pausing  a  moment,  he 
continued,  "  Ah  !  that  is  a  new  name  ;  we  did  not  know 
the  proper  meaning  of  that  word  in  our  heathenism.  It  is 
the  evangelia  a'  Jesu'  that  has  taught  us  the  true  meaning 
of  the  word  '  brethren.'  But  am  I  here  —  here  in  the  midst 
of  the  church  of  Jesus  ?  What  a  marvel !  I  marvel,  you 
marvel.  I  here  I  It  is  the  boundless  love  of  God.  You  all 
know  me."  Pointing  to  a  man  about  his  own  age,  he  con- 
tinued, "Do  you  not  remember  the  man  whom  we  killed  on 
yonder  hill,  and  whose  body  we  cooked  and  eat?"  He 
mentioned  three  others  by  name,  whom  he  and  others  of  the 
church  had  thus  devoured  in  cannibal  feasts  ;  and  then,  with 
tears  running  down  his  cheeks,  he  exclaimed,  "  0,  the  love  of 
God  !  how  far  beyond  all  measurement !  These  hands  have 
killed  eleven  men  during  the  reign  of  Satan  here,  and  whose 
bodies,  with  those  of  many  others,  I  have  eaten  in  our  feasts. 
And  is  it  true  that  I  am  here  ?  Why,  even  you  young  men 
know  me.  I  was  a  wild  savage  long  after  the  Gospel  was 
preached  in  this  land.  I  was  one  of  seventy  others  who  blis- 
tered their  breasts  over  the  sacred  fires  of  Tangaroa's  temple, 
and  I  vowed  the  vow  of  death  to  the  word  of  Jesus.  I  was 
among  the  number  who  burnt  down  the  house  of  those  who 
received  that  word  ;  and  the  chapel,  the  scliool-houses,  and 
missionary's  house,  we  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  only  desired 
to  burn  him  in  it.  But  the  work  of  God  was  more  mighty 
than  I,  and  I  am  here.  I  think  I  have  loved  God  some  three 
or  four  years  past,  but  have  not  been  able  to  profess  that 
love  by  joining  the  church  until  now.  Whenever  I  have 
thought  of  doing  so,  the  sin  and  guilt  of  my  cannibalism  have 
always  prevented  me."  —  Pres.  For.  Miss.,  1857,  p.  330. 


A  RELIGION  OF  INTEGRITY  AND  HONOR. 


Heathen  converts  to  Christianity,  on  receiving  the  Gospel 
in  the  simplicity  of  faith,  receive  with  it  the  lessons  of 
truth  and  honesty.  Getting  religion  from  its  pure  fountain, 
from  the  Gospel,  and  not  second-hand  from  the  prevalent 
maxims  and  practices  —  the  low  standards,  of  a  nominally 
Christian  people,  they  get  but  one  standard,  one  rule,  one 
precept ;  and  therefore  they  furnish,  not  unfrequently,  some 
of  the  purest  and  highest  specimens  of  Christian  integrity 
ever  to  be  met  with.  These  examples  are  numerous  in 
missionary  fields,  yet  only  a  few  of  them  are  quoted,  for 
want  of  space.  They  are  sufficient,  however,  to  illustrate 
the  principle  in  question. 

TOO  HONEST  FOK  HIS   BUSINESS. 

Among  the  converts  at  Aintab  was  a  jeweller,  who  had 
gained  a  comfortable  subsistence  for  his  family.  But  after 
he  received  the  truth  of  Christ,  he  felt  constrained  to  quit 
his  trade,  and  seek  a  support  in  some  other  way,  because 
the  jewellers  would  not  allow  him  to  carry  on  his  trade  un- 
less he  would  be  a  partaker  of  their  sins.  "  They  had  a 
custom,  that  when  a  person  came  to  buy  or  pay  for  an  arti- 
cle, who  did  not  know  its  value,  the  jeweller  would  tell  him 
it  was  worth  so  much  (})crhaps  twice  its  value),  and  send 
him  round  to  ask  the  rest ;  and  they,  having  an  understand- 
ing to  aid  each  other  in  cheating  the  ignorant,  would  all  say 
it  is  worth  so  much  ;  and  he  wlio  should  be  honest  enough, 
in  such  a  case,  to  tell  the  truth,  would  make  enemies  of  all 
the  trade,  and  they  would  soon  find  a  way  to  get  rid  of 
him."     The  missionary  adds,  "  In  this  country,  people  ;ire 


HONESTY   IN   NEW   ZEALAND.  197 

not  free  to  follow  what  business  they  choose,  as  in  Amer- 
ica. Every  trade  has  its  regulations,  and  no  man  can  work 
at  any  trade  without  permission  from  its  chief."  The  man 
in  question  had  embraced  a  religion  which  admitted  of  no 
such  deception,  and  he  abandoned  his  occupation,  without 
knowing  what  he  should  do.  He  had  not  made  the  discov- 
ery, which  many  in  the  American  churches  seem  to  think 
they  have  made,  that  one  can  embrace  the  Christian  religion, 
and  still  practise  deception  in  trade,  by  taking  advantage 
of  the  ignorant,  and  getting  twice  as  much  for  articles  as 
they  are  worth. — Hiss.  Her.,  1848,  p.  133. 

EONESTY   IN  NEW   ZEALAND. 

The  account  given  below  of  strict  and  almost  universal 
integrity,  among  a  people  once  thought  the  most  savage 
and  degraded  on  earth,  will  appear  truly  surprising.  The 
statement  is  by  Rev.  Mr.  Yate,  long  a  missionary  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  in  New  Zealand,  and  perfectly 
familiar  with  the  matter  of  which  he  treats.  In  a  note  to 
his  work  on  this  mission,  p.  194,  he  says:  "  1  will  here 
remark  on  the  degree  of  security  which  I  have  enjoyed  du- 
ring my  past  residence  in  New  Zealand.  My  domicil  has 
often  been  left,  for  many  days  together,  lockless,  barless, 
and  latchless  ;  with  nothing  more  to  secure  the  door  from 
being  burst  open  than  a  chair  placed  against  it.  In  all 
possible  ways,  when  on  visits  among  the  natives,  has  my 
travelling  apparatus  been  exposed  in  an  open  tent,  yet 
nothing  was  ever  missing.  It  is  true  that  among  some 
strange  natives,  who  came  from  a  great  distance,  and  with 
whom  we  were  altogether  unacquainted,  some  petty  thefts 
have  taken  place.  But,  whether  at  home  or  abroad,  I  have 
for  the  most  part  reposed  the  utmost  confidence  in  their 
honesty.  In  my  journeys,  moreover,  I  have  gone  over 
many  thousands  of  miles,  by  night  and  by  day,  usually 
alone,  and  never  met  with  a  suspicious  look  from  any  native 
of  the  country.  I  have,  indeed,  heard  of  people  being 
stopped  on  the  road ;  but,  upon  inquiry,  I  found  that  they 
were  either  runaway  sailors,  or  escaped  convicts,  whom 
the  natives  were  pursuing,  to  take  them  back  to  their  ves- 
sels, or  to  give  them  up  into  the  hands  of  justice.  I  have 
also  been  accustomed  to  place  the  greatest  dependence  on 
those  natives  whom  I  sent  on  messages,  or  employed  in 
carrying  letters  or  parcels  to  any  part  of  the  island.  I 
never  knew  a  case  where  a  native  has  been  entrusted  by  me 

n* 


198  A    RELIGION   OF   INTEGRITY   AND    HONOR. 

with  a  messag-e,  a  parcel,  or  a  letter,  but  he  has  faithfully 
performed  his  errand.  Not  a  week  has  passed  without  my 
having  to  make  communications  to  Europeans  living  at  a 
distance  from  Waimate,  and  whatever  might  be  the  value 
of  what  was  to  be  sent,  I  had  no  hesitation  in  giving  it  in 
charge  to  a  bush  native,  if  I  could  find  one  ;  that  is,  a  na- 
tive who  has  not  been  accustomed  to  Europeans,  but  has 
all  his  life  resided  among  his  own  people." 

TRUTH  AND  HONOR  BEFORE  OFFICE. 

A  Hindoo,  named  Bheeka,  who  had  been  converted  under 
the  missionaries  at  Ahmednugger,  was  so  consistent  and 
upright  in  his  whole  deportment,  that  even  those  who  hated 
him  could  say  nothing  against  him.  His  sterling  regard 
for  truth  and  honor  were  strikingly  developed  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  as  gate-keeper  to  the  village  of  Bho- 
kur,  a  little  distant  from  Ahmednugger.  As  gate-keeper, 
he  was  also  village  messenger,  and  was  required  to  re- 
main near  the  gate,  in  the  neighborhood  of  which  the 
principal  rest-house  of  the  village  was  situated,  so  that 
when  any  traveller,  and  especially  any  government  oflBcer, 
arrived,  he  might  obtain  for  him  whatever  he  needed,  or 
call  any  person  in  the  place  whose  presence  might  be  de- 
sired. When  the  officer  came  to  collect  the  revenue,  the 
gate-keeper  was  sent  off  at  once  for  the  head  man  of  the 
village  ;  but  it  was  a  standing  custom  with  the  latter,  if  he 
happened  to  be  in  circumstances  which  rendered  it  undesir- 
able to  see  the  revenue  officer,  to  send  back  word  that  he 
was  "  not  at  home,"  or  had  "  gone  into  the  fields,"  or  was 
on  a  visit  to  "  another  village."  Such  was  the  word  which 
the  head  man  of  Bhokur  sent  by  Bheeka  to  the  officer,  sup- 
posing Bheeka  to  be  like  other  messengers,  ready  to  lie  to 
please  his  employers  and  keep  his  place.  Bheeka,  however, 
had  entered  another  school  of  morals,  and  he  went  directly 
and  reported  to  the  officer  that  the  head  man  was  at  his 
house,  but  had  direcled  him  to  say  that  he  was  not  at  home  t 
This  of  course  enraged  the  head  man,  but  he  learnt  to  send 
no  more  such  messages  by  Bheeka.  Furthermore,  when  an 
officer  of  the  government  came,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  gate- 
keeper to  furnish  him  with  fuel.  The  town  or  village  was 
bound  to  provide  this  gratuitously ;  but  the  custom  had 
been,  from  time  inmicmorial,  for  the  gate-keeper  to  take  fuel 
without  leave  from  the  houses  of  the  villagers,  wherever  he 
could  find  it.     This,  however,  Bheeka  could  not  do,  consist- 


THE   GIRLS   THAT   WOULD   NOT   LIE,  199 

ently  witli  the  rules  of  honor  and  integrity  which  Chris- 
tianity had  taug'ht  him,  although  it  was  custom,  and  it  was 
not  for  himself  the  fuel  was  wanted,  but  for  a  public  officer. 
And  yet,  if  he  did  not  get  the  fuel  according  to  usage,  he 
was  sure  to  be  beaten.  Under  these  circumstances,  he 
prompUy  resigned  his  office,  with  all  its  emoluments,  which 
were  considerable,  and  very  valuable  in  his  circumstances. 
From  this  bright  example  of  a  recent  convert  from  heathen- 
ism, let  those  be  rebuked  who,  amid  the  light  and  intelli- 
gence of  Christian  communities,  hesitate  not  to  tell  official 
lies  and  commit  government  iniquities  for  the  sake  of  office 
and  its  spoils,  instead  of  resigning  both  for  truth  and  a  good 
conscience.  —  Miss.  Her.,  18-44:,  p.  409. 

MISSIONS    AND    CRIME. 

Rev.  Dr.  Philip,  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  states  that 
the  Honorable  Justice  Burton  informed  him,  after  a  circuit 
tour,  that  he  had  made  three  journeys  over  the  colony  as  a 
circuit  judge  ;  that  during  these  circuits  he  had  nine  hun- 
dred cases  before  him,  and  that  only  two  of  these  cases  were 
connected  with  Hottentots  who  belonged  to  missionary 
institutions,  and  that  neither  of  them  were  aggravated 
cases.  On  a  comparison  of  the  population  at  the  mission- 
ary stations  with  that  of  the  rest  of  the  colony,  which  was 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Circuit  Court,  the  fact  stated 
by  the  judge  makes  the  proportion  of  the  crimes  as  one  to 
foi'ty-nine.  —  Anecdotes  of  London  Tract  Society,  p.  168. 

THE  GIRLS  THAT    WOULD  NOT    LIE. 

Two  little  Armenian  girls,  in  Constantinople,  ten  and 
twelve  years  of  age,  who  had  been  instructed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, loved  their  Bibles  very  much,  and  prayed  together 
every  night  and  morning.  One  day  the  father  of  these 
girls,  for  they  were  sisters,  received  a  call  from  some  one 
ho  did  not  Avish  to  see,  and  he  directed  the  eldest  of  them 
to  go  and  tell  the  peison  that  he  was  not  at  home.  "  But, 
papa,"  she  replied,  "  that  would  be  telling  a  lie."  —  "  What 
then  ?  "  said  the  father.  "  It  is  a  very  little  thing.  You 
have  only  to  say  that  I  am  not  at  home."  —  "  But,  papa," 
she  replied,  "  the  Bible  says  it  is  wicked  to  tell  Hes,  and 
I  cannot  tell  a  lie."*  The  father  was  very  angry,  and,  call- 
ing his  second  daughter,  he  bid  her  go  and  say  the  same  ; 
to  whicli  she  replied,  "Papa,  I  cannot,  for  it  is  wicked  to 
lie."     The  father  was  enraged  and  astounded,   and  com- 


200  A    RELIGION   OF   INTEGRITY   AND    HONOR. 

plained  to  their  teacher  that  his  daughters  could  not  obey 
him  in  so  small  a  matter,  and  he  did  not  know  what  had 
possessed  them.  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  Aug.,  1836. 

THE    PEIEST    AND    HIS    LITTLE    BOY. 

An  Armenian  priest,  at  Constantinople,  being  called  on 
by  a  neighbor  for  an  article  which  he  did  not  wish  to  lend, 
told  his  son,  a  mere  lad,  to  go  and  say  that  he  had  no 
such  article  in  the  house.  The  boy,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  mission  school,  replied,  "  But  we  have  it ;  there  it  is," 
pointing  to  it.  —  "I  know  it,"  said  the  father;  "but  do 
you  go  and  tell  him  that  we  have  it  not."  —  "I  cannot," 
replied  the  boy,  "for  that  would  be  telling  a  lie."  — 
"  What,"  said  the  enraged  priest,  "  are  you  going  straight 
up  to  heaven,  and  will  you  '  leave  me  to  hold  on  by  your 
heels  ?  '  "  which  was  equivalent  to  saying,  "  Do  you,  a 
mere  boy,  pretend  to  intimate  that  you  are  going  to  be 
more  holy  than  me,  your  father,  and  a  priest?" — 3Iiss. 
Her.,  August,  1836. 

BELIGION   IW   BUBUTU. 

Capt.  Chase,  who  commanded  an  American  whale-ship, 
and  touched  at  a  South  Sea  island,  named  Rurutu,  for  a 
supply  of  yams,  makes  the  following  statement : 

"The  natives  gave  us  all  the  assistance  in  their  power, 
from  the  time  the  ship  sti'uck  to  the  present  moment.  The 
first  day,  while  landing  the  things  from  the  ship,  they  were 
put  into  the  hands  of  the  natives,  and  carried  up  to  the 
native  mission  house,  a  distance  of  half  a  mile,  and  not 
an  article  of  clothing  was  taken  from  any  man  belonging  to 
the  ship,  though  they  had  it  in  their  power  to  have  plun- 
dered us  of  everything  tliat  was  landed  ;  which  fully  proves 
the  honesty  of  the  natives  of  this  island."  Had  Capt. 
Chase  landed  at  Rurutu  before  the  Gospel  was  introduced 
there,  he  and  his  crew  would  not  only  have  been  plundered, 
but  killed  and  eaten.  — ■  Williams's  Missionary  Enterprise  in 
South  Sea  Islands,  p.  63. 

INTEGRITY    OF   THE    ZULUS. 

The  Zulus,  of  South  Africa,  as  described  by  Mr.  Grout, 
in  1842,  had  no  system  of  idolatry  to  be  battled  down, — 
they  were  not  idolaters  at  all.  They  were  not  intemperate, 
such  a  thing  as  a  Zulu  being  intoxicated,  having  never  been 
heard  of  till  the  whites,  within  a  short  time,  brought  brandy 


INTEGRITY   OF   THE   ZULUS.  201 

'into  the  country,  and  even  then  it  was  not  known  that  an 
appetite  had  been  formed  for  it  in  a  single  instance.  They 
were  free  from  licentiousness,  to  a  degree  not  equalled,  it 
was  believed,  by  any  people  on  the  globe,  pagan  or  Chris- 
tian. They  practised  polygamy  ;  but,  as  they  knew  no  law 
against  it,  it  did  not  lead  to  dissipation.  They  would  not 
steal.  Mr.  Grout's  goods  lay  under  a  shed  four  months, 
day  and  night,  without  door  or  window,  and  were  often 
handled  by  the  natives,  and  though  many  articles  were  fan- 
cied by  them  very  much,  nothing  was  ever  taken.  Such 
was  found  to  be  the  native  simplicity  of  that  section  of  the 
African  race,  —  a  race,  it  would  seem,  fitter  to  be  Chris- 
tianized than  enslaved.  —  Hiss.  Her.,  1842,  p.  339. 


NATIVE  DEATH-BED  SCENES. 


THE  DYING  INDIAN  BOY. 

Rev.  D.  T.  Jones,  missionary  to  one  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can Indian  tribes,  relates  the  following  affecting  story  of  an 
Indian  boy,  who  had  been  edncated  at  the  Indian  school, 
and  baptized  by  the  name  of  Jack  Spense.  Mr.  Jones  says  : 
"  I  found  him  dying  of  consumption,  and  in  a  state  of  the 
most  awful  poverty  and  destitution,  in  a  small  birch-rind- 
covered  hut,  with  nothing  but  a  few  fern  leaves  under  him, 
and  an  old  blanket  over  him,  which  was  in  a  condition  not 
to  be  described.  After  recovering  from  my  surprise,  I  said, 
'  Poor  boy,  I  am  very  sorry  to  find  you  in  this  state  ;  had 
you  let  me  know,  you  should  not  have  been  lying  here.'  He 
replied,  '  It  is  very  little  I  want  now,  and  these  poor  peo- 
ple get  it  for  me  ;  but  I  should  like  something  to  lie  upon, 
as  my  bones  are  very  sore.'  I  then  asked  him  concerning 
his  state  of  mind  ;  when  he  replied  that  he  was  very  happy  ; 
that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  of  glory,  had  died  to  save  him, 
and  that  he  had  the  most  perfect  confidence  in  him.  Observ- 
ing a  small  Bible  under  the  corner  of  his  blanket,  I  said, 
'  Jack,  you  have  a  friend  there  ;  I  am  glad  to  see  that ;  I 
hope  you  find  something  good  there.'  Weak  as  he  was,  he 
raised  himself  on  his  elbow,  held  his  Bible  in  his  attenuated 
hand,  while  a  smile  played  on  his  countenance,  and  slowly 
spoke,  in  precisely  the  following  words  :  '  This,  sir,  is  my 
dear  friend.  You  gave  it  me  when  we  all  went  down  to 
Mr.  Cochran's.  For  a  long  time  I  read  it  much  ;  and  often 
thought  of  what  it  told.  Last  year  I  went  to  see  my  sister 
at  Lake  Winnipeg,  about  two  hundred  miles  off,  where  I 
remained  about  two  montlis.  When  I  was  about  half  way 
back  through  the  lake,  I  remembered  that  I  had  left  my 
Bible  behind  me.  I  directly  turned  round,  and  was  nine  days 
by  myself,  tossing  to  and  fro,  before  I  could  reach  the  house  ; 


THE   LAST   HOURS    OF   A   HINDOO.  203 

but  I  found  my  friend,  and  determined  that  I  would  not 
part  with  it  again  ;  and  ever  since  it  has  been  near  my 
breast,  and  I  thought  I  should  have  it  buried  with  me.  But 
I  have  thought  since  I  had  better  give  it  to  you  when  I  am 
gone,  as  it  may  do  some  one  else  good.'  He  was  often 
interrupted  by  a  sepulchral  cough,  and  sunk  down  ex- 
hausted. I  read  and  prayed,  the  hut  hardly  affording  me 
room  to  be  upright,  even  when  kneeling.  The  evening  sun 
was  pouring  its  rays  through  the  holes  in  the  bark-covered 
hut ;  and  1  could  not  but  exclaim,  on  coming  away,  '  What 
a  scene  for  the  pen  of  a  Leigh  Richmond  ! '  "  —  Juvenile  Miss. 
Hag.,  1847,  p.  161. 

THE  LAST  HOURS  OF  A  HINDOO. 

Of  hundreds  and  thousands  of  Christian  Hindoos  may  it 
be  said,  in  reference  to  their  death,  "  And  they  passed 
clean  over  Jordan."  Contrast  the  dying  Hindoo  as  a 
heathen,  with  the  dying  Hindoo  convert  to  Christ.  With- 
out conscience  in  active  exercise,  with  no  perception  of 
the  future,  no  real  faith  in  the  dogmas  even  of  his  own 
system,  the  heathen's  mind  is  chiefly  troubled  about  the 
possessions  ho  is  leaving,  and  the  ties  which  are  about  to  be 
severed.  Money,  jewels,  ornaments,  occupy  the  solitude 
of  the  dying.  Lands  and  houses  engross  the  thoughts.  All 
are  to  be  left.  The  dying  man  or  woman  is  dismayed. 
Not  so  with  the  Christian  convert.  There  is  joy  in  his 
death,  —  a  calm  surrender  of  all  to  God,  —  a  committal  of 
his  family  to  his  providence,  —  an  entreaty  of  relatives  and 
friends  to  accept  the  offer  of  the  Gospel.  An  illustration  is 
furnished  in  the  case  of  a  native  named  Samuel  Flavel. 
When  first  attacked,  he  said  that  he  had  felt  fear  at  the  strug- 
gle which  awaited  him,  but  that  he  had  been  graciously  de- 
livered from  it.  "  I  am  not  able  to  talk  much,"  he  said,  "  on 
account  of  the  pain;  pray  with  me  —  speak  with  me."  — 
"  Do  you  feel  that  the  Saviour  is  near  you  ?  "  said  one.  "Yes," 
said  he,  "  and  he  is  a  sweet  comforter.  My  body  is  very 
weak,  but  my  soul  is  very  joyful.  I  am  now  like  the  pil- 
grim passing  over  the  great  river,  and  soon  shall  reach  the 
other  side."  He  sometimes  spoke  in  Tamul,  at  other  times 
in  English;  and,  when  his  strength  was  well-nigh  gone,  in 
those  broken  accents  and  in  that  mixture  of  languages  which 
could  not  be  understood.  All  however,  seemed  to  be  express- 
ive of  confidence  in  God,  through  the  atonement  of  the 
Saviour.    When  his  dear  wife  and  children,  with  much  weep- 


204  NATIVE   DEATH-BED    SCENES. 

ing,  came  and  spoke  to  him,  he  said,  "  The  signs  of  death 
appear,  but  I  am  prepared  for  heaven  ;  do  you,  also,  seek  to 
be  prepared."  To  the  catechists  he  said,  "  I  have  laid  many 
prayers  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  in 
this  dark  land  ;  who  will  see  the  answer  to  these  pray- 
ers ?  "  About  an  hour  before  his  death,  he  asked  the  peo- 
ple to  go  and  pray  for  him.  When  they  returned,  the  cou- 
liict  seemed  to  be  at  an  end.  Seeing  his  brethren  in  the 
room,  he  looked  at  Mr.  Thompson,  as  if  wishing  him  to  come 
nearer,  and  then,  with  uplifted  hands,  closed  according 
to  the  manner  in  which  the  natives  show  respect,  and  a 
countenance,  though  haggard  from  disease,  still  retaining 
a  portion  of  that  benignity  which  ever  characterized  him, 
he  fixed  his  eyes  intently  on  him,  whilst  his  lips  uttered 
a  few  brief  sentences,  evidently  intended  as  a  farewell, 
though  their  import  was  not  exactly  understood.  He 
soon  after  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. — Clarkson''s  India  and  the 
Gospel,  p.  266. 

THE  CHOCTAW  -WIDOW. 

Hotonah,  a  young  Choctaw  widow,  was  hopefully  con- 
verted to  God  in  the  summer  of  1833,  and  was  a  most 
exemplary  Christian,  though  she  lived  but  a  few  months. 
Early  one  morning,  two  days  before  her  death,  she  said  to 
her  friends,  "  I  shall  not  assist  you  in  planting  ;  I  am  going 
to  die."  She  soon  after  exhibited  symptoms  of  disease, 
and  said,  "  I  shall  die  this  day  ;  I  wisli  to  see  my  child  and 
my  brother,"  —  who  were  at  school.  While  they  were  sent 
for,  she  said,  "  Father,  mother,  I  go  before  you  to  the  good 
world.  We,  as  a  family,  have  lived  together  in  peace,  trust- 
ing and  loving  our  heavenly  Father.  I  will  salute  you  all 
for  the  last  time,"  — calling  upon  them  to  take  her  by  the 
hand.  "  I  bid  you  adieu  till  the  judgment-day  ;  then  we 
shall  meet  and  salute  again."  When  her  child  was  brought 
she  took  it  by  the  hand,  and  said,  "  I  do  not  cast  you  away 
from  me  ;  I  only  go  before  you  to  heaven.  Follow  me,  my 
child  ;  do  surely  follow  me.  My  father,  my  mother,  mourn 
not  for  me.  I  go  not  mourning  or  in  sorrow.  I  die  rejoic- 
ing ;  it  is  well  with  me."  • — Mis!i.  Her.,  Aug.,  1834. 

ELIZA.— A  SORE  CONFLICT. 

Eliza  had  been  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  girls' 
boarding-school  at  Madras.     The  missionary  who  attended 


ELIZA.  —  A   SOKE   CONFLICT.  205 

upon  her  in  her  last  sickness  gives  the  following  account 
of  her  experience,  one  remarkable  feature  of  which  was, 
her  dreadful  couflict  with  the  great  enemy  of  souls.  He 
says  : 

"  Two  daj's  before  her  death,  in  the  evening,  she  became 
suddenly  full  of  distress  and  alarm,  and  her  body  full  of  agi- 
tation. She  cried  out,  '  0,  I  am  afraid  !  I  am  afraid  !  lie 
is  standing  close  to  my  car,  and  is  continually  saying  to  me. 
There  is  no  salvation  for  you  !  there  is  no  salvation  for  you  ! 
0,  I  am  afraid  !  I  am  trembling  !  This  is  very  fearful !  How 
is  this  ?  0,  Jesus  !  have  I  not  believed  in  thee  ?  Have  I 
not  been  baptized  into  thy  name  ?  Have  I  not  received 
the  teachings  of  thy  servants  ?  Am  I  not  thy  child  ?  0, 
how  is  this  '(  This  is  very  fearful  to  me.'  She  was  exhorted 
not  to  let  Satan  deprive  her  of  her  hope,  but  to  abide  firm 
in  her  faith.  The  Scriptures  were  read  to  her,  and  prayer 
■was  oflered,  and  after  a  considerable  time  her  mind  became 
more  calm,  and  her  hope  returned,  and  she  offered  up  the 
following  prayer :  '  0,  sweet  Jesus,  I  taste  that  thou  art 
good !  Thou  hast  fed  me  in  green  pastures,  and  hast  re- 
freshed me  at  the  fountain  of  life.  When  we  were  only 
infants,  our  father  and  mother  left  us  '  (alluding  to  the  early 
orphanage  of  herself  and  another  child),  'but  even  as  thou 
hast  said.  Although  a  mother  may  forget  her  sucking 
cliild,  I  will  not  forget  thee,  —  so  didst  thou  appoint  for  us 
honored  ladies  and  gentlemen,  as  fathers  and  mothers,  to 
take  care  of  us  and  bring  us  up.  0,  sweet  Jesus,  for  that 
I  praise  thee  !  Thou,  for  my  sins,  didst  suffer  much  ;  thou 
didst  shed  thy  precious  blood,  and  give  thy  life  ;  and  thou 
dost  now  pray  for  me  before  thy  Father's  face.  Thei'efore, 
do  thou  have  pity  on  me,  and  wash  me  from  my  sins.  Thou 
hast  cleansed  me  by  thy  blood  ;  thou  hast  made  me  holy 
by  thy  blood  ;  thou  hast  redeemed  me  by  thy  blood  ;  there- 
fore 1  praise  thy  holy  name.  0,  death  !  where  is  thy  sting  ? 
0,  grave  !  where  is  thy  victory  ?  '  The  missionary,  in  clos- 
ing this  affecting  narrative,  adds  :  "  Such  deaths  as  this 
cheer  us  much  ;  they  assure  us  that  our  work  is  real,  and 
that  God  is  with  us."  Such  a  death  may  well  assure  every 
Christian  —  yea,  the  sceptic,  even  —  of  the  reality  of  a  reli- 
gion which  can  give  such  a  victory  over  the  great  tempter, 
and  such  sweet  trust  and  peace  in  a  dying  hour,  and  that, 
too,  in  the  case  of  a  youth  but  lately  delivered  from  heathen 
ignorance. — Miss.  Mag.,  Sept.,  1852. 
18 


206  NATIVE   DEATH-BED    SCENES. 

ANN"  ■WAIAPtr, 

Ann  Waiapu  was  a  most  interesting  Ciiristian  convert, 
as  described,  in  her  life  and  death,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Yate,  her 
missionary  and  pastor.  (See  p.  298  of  his  New  Zealand.) 
"  One  day,"  he  says,  "  as  I  was  standing  in  the  next  room, 
I  heard  her  thus  address  her  husband  :  '  James,  do  not  keep 
Mary  and  William  from  going  to  heaven.  Take  them  to 
church  ;  never  take  my  girl  on  board  ship  ;  but  let  them 
both  go  to  God,  the  great  and  the  good.'  As  she  grew 
weaker,  praise  for  that  everlasting  love  wherewith  Christ 
had  loved  her,  was  the  burden  of  her  song.  '  Ah  !  Mrs. 
Kemp,'  said  she,  as  that  kind  woman  was  smoothing  her 
pillow,  '  good-by  ;  I  am  going  to  Jesus  Christ,  who  loves 
me  ;  I  shall  see  him  now.  I  have  seen  with  my  heart ;  and 
now  I  love  him  with  my  heart.  It  is  not  my  lips  only  that 
believe,  but  belief  is  firmly  fixed  within  me.'  After  listen- 
ing to  an  explanation  of  the  nature  of  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  she  said,  '  Yes,  Jesus  did,  indeed,  die  upon 
the  cross  for  me  !  and  but  for  him  I  should  now  die  a  native 
death,  and  go  to  a  place  of  darkness  and  punishment.  Mr. 
Yate,  do  you  tell  me  —  shall  I  be  carried  up  to  the  house 
of  prayer  on  the  next  sacred  day  ?  and  will  you  let  me  and 
James  eat  of  the  bread,  and  drink  of  the  cup,  concerning 
which  the  Saviour  said.  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me  ? ' 
She  then  added,  '  What  are  we  to  remember  ? '  I  replied, 
'  That  Jesus  loved  us,  and  died  for  our  sins.'  — '  Ah  1  I  shall 
never  forget  that,'  was  her  quick  reply.  Her  request  being 
granted,  she  said,  '  Then,  James,  get  a  litter  ready,  that  I 
may  be  carried  up  to  the  house  of  God  on  Sunday,  for  I 
desire  to  try  his  love.'  She  was,  accordingly,  carried  up 
to  the  sanctuary,  for  the  last  time,  and  a  deeply  affecting 
scene  it  was.  A  little  before  her  death,  she  said,  '  Jesus 
Christ  is  mine,  Mr.  Yate,  and  I  am  Jesus  Christ's.  I  know 
him  now —  I  know  him  now  ;  he  is  come  here,'  —  fixing  her 
hand  upon  her  heart,  —  '  and  he  will  not  go  away  again  any 
more.'  I  asked  her  if  she  wished  to  return  to  the  world, 
and  be  restored  to  health  ?  '  What ! '  was  her  reply,  '  and 
Jesus  Christ  sometimes  with  me,  and  sometimes  not ;  and  I 
sometimes  thinking  evil,  and  sometimes  thinking  good  1 
No,  no,  no  I  Mrs.  Kemp  will  be  a  better  mother  to  my 
babies  than  I  shall  be.  I  will  go.'  She  grew  insensible 
after  this,  and  her  last  words  were,  '  James,  I  am  going ; 
I  am  full  of  pain  ;  I  am  going  above,  away  from  pain.'     I 


ANN   WAIAPU.  207 

was  never  more  persuaded  of  the  happiness  of  a  departed 
spirit,  than  of  that  of  our  deceased  sister."  Nowhere 
does  the  religion  of  the  Gospel  appear  more  divine,  effi- 
cacious, and  lovely,  than  at  such  death-bed  scenes  in  a 
heathen  land. 


TAXES  IMPOSED  BY  IDOLATRY. 


The  sums  required  for  the  support  of  idolatry,  its  tem- 
ples and  altars,  its  priesthood,  pilgrimages,  and  various 
offerings,  ai'e  enormous.  And  they  are  borne  with  surpris- 
ing patience,  and  even  cheerfulness  and  delight.  It  is  all  a 
system  of  merit  —  the  blind  devotees  of  wood  and  stone 
thinking  thus  to  j^urchase  salvation.  Christianity  imposes 
no  such  burdens  —  institutes  no  such  draining  process,  but 
asks  only  enough  to  give  the  Gospel  to  all  people.  A  hun- 
dredth, even  a  thousandth  part  of  the  tax  which  idolaters 
bestow  upon  their  gods  and  temples,  put  into  the  Lord's 
treasury  by  all  who  know  him  and  his  salvation,  would 
meet  every  demand  of  missionary  societies,  and  so  augment 
their  work  as  almost  at  once  to  give  the  Gospel  to  all 
people.  The  statements  furnished  on  this  point  are  for 
instruction  and  admonition,  and  may  awaken  the  inquiry, 
whether,  if  the  heathen  offer  thus  freely  for  the  sin  of  their 
own  souls,  Christians  should  not  jneld  up  their  treasures 
with  equal  readiness  and  zeal  for  Him  who  hath  redeemed 
them  with  his  blood. 

EXPENSES   OF  BUDDHISM, 

Buddhism  is,  probably,  the  most  complete  and  stupendous 
system  of  self-righteousness  the  world  ever  saw.  Among 
the  greatest  works  of  merit  which  it  inculcates,  are  the 
casting,  moulding,  and  cai'ving  of  images  of  Buddh,  building 
temples  for  the  images,  uttering  the  name  of  Buddh  with 
reverence,  —  the  greater  the  repetitions,  the  more  merito- 


COSTLY   TEMPLES.  209 

nous, — devoting-  themselves  to  his  system  of  priesthood, 
exalting  his  sacred  books,  and  feeding  and  clothing  his 
priests.  There  are,  in  the  city  of  Bangkok  (Siam),  not  less 
than  one  hundred  Buddhist  temples,  containing,  on  an  aver- 
age, one  hundred  priests  each,  making  ten  thousand  priests 
for  the  city.  Many  of  these  temples  cost  each  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  The  annual  cost  of  feeding  and  clothing  these  ten 
thousand  priests,  at  the  very  moderate  estimate  of  fifteen 
cents  per  day,  is  five  hundred  and  forty-seven  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars.  The  whole  number  of  Buddhist  priests  in 
the  kingdom  cannot  be  less  than  fifty  thousand.  The  whole 
expense  of  building  and  supporting  these  temples,  and  of 
feeding'  and  clothing  this  multitudinous  and  lazy  priesthood, 
falls,  of  course,  upon  the  people  ;  and,  strange  to  say,  they 
sustain  the  enormous  burden,  under  the  conviction  that  it  is 
more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  Alas  !  that  they,  in 
their  blindness,  should  act  upon  that  principle  with  more 
alacrity  and  self-denial  than  even  those  who  receive  it  as  a 
Christian  precept.  — Amer.  Miss.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  5. 

COSTLY  TEMPLES, 

In  India  immense  sums  have  been  expended  on  edifices 
consecrated  to  the  worship  of  idol  gods.  The  country  of 
Tanjore  is  described  by  Mr.  Winslow  as  being  full  of  pago- 
das and  temples,  some  of  them  of  magnificent  dimensions, 
and  of  the  most  costly  materials.  Each  temple  is  sur- 
rounded by  walls,  in  the  centre  of  each  side  of  which  is  an 
immense  gateway,  surrounded  by  a  pyramidal  tower,  of 
great  height,  covered  with  sculpture  to  the  top,  in  the 
figures  of  gods,  men,  beasts,  and  nondescript  animals.  In 
the  large  temples  these  towers,  which  are  often  considered 
as  the  pagodas,  are  two  or  three  hundred  feet  high.  Mr. 
Winslow  refers  to  Dr.  Duff's  description  of  one  of  them, 
visited  also  by  himself.  It  is  at  Seringham,  and  is  a  mile 
square,  with  a  tower  of  immense  height  in  the  middle  of 
each  side  wall.  The  pillars  of  the  gatewaj^s  of  the  towers 
are  single  pieces  of  stone,  forty  feet  high,  and  five  feet 
square.  The  roof  of  a  terrace  in  the  enclosure  is  supported 
by  one  thousand  pillars,  each  of  one  solid  block  of  stone, 
very  finely  carved  with  figures  of  the  gods  and  other 
devices.  Siva,  the  god  of  the  place,  is  formed  entirely  of 
gold,  in  solid  pieces,  and  is  fifteen  feet  high.  The  platform, 
on  which  the  image  stands,  is  also  of  gold.  The  ornaments 
of  this  god  are  in  proportion  to  his  size,  and  the  quantity  of 
18* 


210  TAXES    IMPOSED    BY   IDOLATRY. 

emeralds,  pearls,  and  other  precious  stones,  which  adorn 
him,  is  immense.  No  jeweller's  shop  in  London  could  ex- 
hibit anything  like  it.  About  six  thousand  Brahmins  live 
in  the  precincts  of  the  temple.  The  whole  g-ives  an  idea  of 
the  vast  resources  which  heathen  worship  demands,  and 
the  oppression  and  poverty  to  which  it  reduces  the  millions 
of  its  votaries. — Journal  of  Missions,  Feb.,  1850. 

ENORMOUS  BURDEN. 

The  sacred  books  of  the  Hindoos  are  divided  into  vedas, 
shasters,  and  puranas  ;  and  the  reading  of  these,  or  hearing 
them  read,  is  one  of  the  most  meritorious  of  their  observ- 
ances, and  enormously  expensive.  The  reading  calls  together 
great  numbers  of  people,  who  ofler  various  presents  or  sums 
of  money  to  the  readei's,  or  brahminical  priests.  Rich  men 
often  expend  on  these  occasions  not  less  than  one  hundred 
thousand  rupees,  or  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  ! 

HEATHEN  LIBERALITY. 

The  freedom  with  which  the  heathen  often  lavish  expense 
upon  their  idols  and  idol-worship,  is  illustrated  in  the  case 
of  a  Hindoo,  named  Baboo  Rammohun,  who  spent  fifty  thou- 
sand rupees  at  a  single  carnival.  Another  Hindoo  on  the 
same  occasion  sacrificed  five  hundred  goats  and  fifty  buffa- 
loes. How  few  Christians  ever  serve  the  true  God  at  an 
equal  sacrifice  ! — 3Iiss.  Her.,  1853,  p.  211. 

QUARTER   OF  A  MILLION  FOR  A  TEMPLE. 

In  Ahmedabad,  a  prosperous  and  wealthy  city  of  Gujerat, 
India,  a  lady,  widow  of  a  rich  merchant,  erected,  about  four 
years  since,  a  Jain  temple,  at  the  enormous  expense  of  sev- 
enty thousand  pounds  sterling! — more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
million  of  dollars  ;  —  and  this  was  but  a  portion  of  her  entire 
wealth.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing,  there,  for  a  single  mer- 
chant to  expend  thirty,  forty,  and  fifty  thousand  pounds 
sterling,  on  such  edifices.  Thus  cheerfully  do  the  heathen 
meet  the  monstrous  exactions  of  idolatry  upon  its  votaries. 

FIFTY  BAGS   OF  MONEY. 

A  missionary  in  India  says  :  "  I  once  visited  the  rajah  of 
Birdwan,  and  found  him  sitting  in  his  treasury.  Fifty  bags 
of  money,  containing  one  thousand  rupees  each,  were  })laced 
before  him.  'What'  said  I,  'are  you  doing  with  all  this 
money  ? '     He  replied,  '  It  is  for  my  gods.'  — '  How  do  you 


THE   CRAFT   IN  DANGER.  211 

mean  that  ?  '  I  rejoined.  '  One  part  is  sent  to  Benares,  where 
1  have  two  fine  temples  on  the  river-side,  and  many  priests 
who  pray  for  me  ;  another  part  goes  to  Juggernaut,  and  a 
third  to  Gaya.'  Thus  one  native  is  spending  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  annually,  fi-om  his  income,  upon  idols  and 
Brahmins."  —  Journal  of  Missions,  Dec,  1850. 

NO  WORSHIP  WITHOUT  MONEY. 

A  missionary  in  China  gave  a  minute  description,  in  1850, 
of  an  extraordinary  idol  temple,  then  recently  built.  It  was 
erected  in  Canton,  within  the  grounds  of  one  of  the  largest 
Buddhist  monasteries  in  the  city,  and  contained  five  hundred 
images  of  the  worthies,  saints,  and  remarkable  personages 
belonging  to  the  Buddhist  faith.  These  images  were  all  the 
size  of  life  and  in  a  sitting  posture,  and,  being  freshly  gilded, 
were  considered  very  attractive.  The  writer  says,  "  We  see 
no  signs  of  decaying  idolatry  in  the  erection  of  such  an  edi- 
fice as  this,  but  many  instances  like  it  might  be  brought  for- 
ward to  show  tliat  Buddhism  still  maintains  great  power  over 
the  people.  It  has  been  calculated  that/our  hundred  millions 
of  dollars  are  annually  spent  in  China  for  idolatrous  pur- 
poses ;  and  I  think  the  amount  not  much  exaggerated.  This 
gives  a  dollar  for  each  individual — a  great  contrast  to  the 
total  of  contributions  for  all  benevolent  objects  in  the 
United  States.  Not  only  are  large  temples  numerous  in  the 
city,  but  we  everywhere  see  shops  for  selling  things  used 
in  worship,  and  people  hawking  them  through  the  streets. 
No  one  thinks  of  worshipping  any  god  or  ancestor,  without 
spending  money  in  so  doing ;  favors  are  to  be  bought  from 
the  gods,  and  the  thousands  of  makers  and  carvers  who  are 
maintained  by  idolatry  are  interested  in  upholding  the  sys- 
tem."—  Jour,  of  3Iissions,  Sepf.,  1851. 

THE  CRAFT  IN  DANGER. 

The  manufacture  of  incense  in  China  is  an  immense  and 
profitable  business.  The  incense-stick  is  an  odoriferous 
bark,  ground  up,  and  then  compounded  with  some  adhesive 
substance  which  renders  the  powder  capable  of  being  formed 
into  sticks  of  all  sizes.  It  is  computed  that  ten  thousand 
persons  in  each  province  derive  a  support  from  making  in- 
cense-sticks, and  that  in  the  eighteen  provinces  about  half  a 
million  of  people  derive  a  direct  subsistence  from  the  exist- 
ence of  idolatry.  Besides  incense-dealers,  there  are  priests 
without  number,  and  makers  of  gilt  paper  and  shrines  and 


212  TAXES   IMPOSED   BY   IDOLATRY. 

candles  and  gods.  These  all  are  of  course  ready  to  cry 
out,  "  Our  craft  is  in  danger,"  when  idol-worship  is  assailed 
and  the  true  God  made  known  to  the  people.  It  is  on  the 
same  principle  that  enmity  and  opposition  are  roused  when 
the  "craft"  of  the  slaveholder  and  the  rum-dealer  are  as- 
sailed.—  Miss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  374. 

CHEERFUL  GIVERS. 

A  forcible  argument  for  the  liberal  and  cheerful  support 
of  religious  teachers,  was  brought  forward  by  Bartimeus,  a 
blind  man,  the  first  convei't  on  Maui,  and  the  first  native 
who  was  baptized  in  the  Sandwich  Islands.  He  was  a  man 
of  extraordinary  powers  of  mind,  and  often  drew  compari- 
sons and  made  allusions  and  appeals,  with  astonishing  force. 
At  a  public  meeting  in  behalf  of  schools  he  said  :  "  I  have 
been  twice  educated.  In  the  time  of  dark  heai'ts  I  learned 
the  huda  (a  native  amusement  consisting  of  singing,  drum- 
ming and  dancing,  accompanied  with  shocking  licentious- 
ness) ;  and  the  lua  (the  art  of  murder  and  robbery) ;  and 
the  kake  (a  language  unintelligible  to  any  but  those  who 
are  initiated  into  its  mj^stei'ies).  I  learnt  mischief  in  those 
days  ;  and  did  it  cost  me  nothing  ?  Had  we  not  to  pay 
those  mischievous  teachers?  Ah,  think  of  the  hogs  and 
kapa,  the  fish  and  awa,  and  other  things  we  used  to  give 
them  1  And  we  did  it  cheerfully.  We  thought  it  all  well 
spent.  But  how  is  it  now  ?  Here  are  men  of  our  own  blood 
and  nation,  whose  business  it  is  to  teach  us  and  our  chil- 
dren good  things,  the  things  of  God  and  salvation,  how  to 
read  our  Bibles,  geographies,  arithmetics,  &c.,  and  ought 
we  not  cheerfully  to  support  them  ?  How  can  they  teach, 
if  they  have  nothing  to  eat  and  nothing  to  wear  ?  Will 
they  not  soon  get  tired  of  this  ?  Who  can  work  when  he  is 
hungry  ?  Let  us  take  hold  and  help,  and  do  it  cheerfully." 
—  Miss.  Her.,  July,  1838. 

ZEAL  FOR  JUGGERNAUT. 

Pilgrimages  to  reputed  hol}^  places,  such  as  the  conflu- 
ence of  rivers,  hot  springs,  or  other  natural  phenomena,  and 
also  to  celebrated  idols,  or  the  tombs  of  saints,  have  ever 
been  popular  in  India.  But  perhaps  no  pilgrimage  was 
ever  so  extensively  practised  and  so  generally  famed,  as 
that  to  Juggernaut.  This  idol  has  its  temple  and  seat  in 
Poore,  about  three  liundred  miles  Irom  Calcutta,  south-west, 
a    place    containing    about    thirty  thousand    inhabitants. 


WILLING    OFFERINGS.  213 

Within  the  town,  enclosed  by  a  wall  twenty  feet  high,  arc 
more  than  fifty  temples,  of  which  that  of  Juggernaut  is 
chief  The  zeal  with  which  the  worship  of  Juggernaut  is 
maintained  is  easil}'  explained.  There  are  some  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  officers  of  the  temple,  four  hundred  families 
of  cooks,  one  hundred  and  twenty  dancing-girls,  and  three 
thousand  priests,  all  of  whom  are  supported  by  the  fees  and 
contributions  of  the  pilgrims,  and  by  the  sale  of  holy  food  ; 
for  which  they  receive  about  eight  times  as  much  as  it  costs. 
It  is  regarded  as  sinful  for  pilgrims  to  eat  any  other  food  I 
and  this  monopoly  is  very  gainful.  The  great  wealth  thus 
amassed  furnishes  a  powerful  motive  to  deceive  the  people 
with  all  sorts  of  lying  wonders.  Besides  the  fees  and  perqui- 
sites which  the  officers,  priests,  cooks,  and  others,  receive 
lawfully,  there  are  immense  offerings  made  continually  to  the 
idol,  in  food,  clothing  money,  jewelry,  &c.,  which  are,  of 
course,  appropriated  by  these  hangers-on, —  a  sort  of  office- 
holders, who  often  confess  that  they  care  nothing  for  Jug- 
gernaut, but  are  only  engaged  in  his  service  as  a  matter  of 
speculation!  The  festivals  occur  once  a  month,  the  princi- 
pal one  being  in  June  or  July,  and  agents  are  sent  out  by 
the  priests,  officers,  &c.,  with  the  most  villanous  fabrica- 
tions concerning  tlie  greatness  of  Juggernaut,  to  induce 
pilgrims  to  come  in  and  bring  their  offerings.  Truly,  it 
costs  something  to  be  a  devotee  of  this  idol.  The  demands 
of  Christianity,  even  if  fully  met,  would  not  subject  its 
friends  to  a  hundredth  part  as  much  real  inconvenience  or 
sacrifice.  —  Orissa  and  its  Evangelization,  p.  120. 

THE  IDOL'S  POKTIOK". 

It  is  the  custom  among  the  Hindoos,  when  gathering  in 
their  harvest,  before  it  is  removed  from  the  threshing-floor, 
to  take  out  the  portion  for  their  god.  Ilowever  poor,  how- 
ever much  in  debt,  however  small  the  crop  may  be,  the 
god's  portion  is  first  given.  Nor  is  it  a  small  portion, 
grudgingly  bestowed.  It  is  a  liberal  and  cheerful  consecra- 
tion of  property  to  idul-worship,  which,  if  imitated  in  Chris- 
tian lauds,  would  fill  the  Lord's  treasury  to  overflowing. 

"WILLING  OPFEKINGS. 

A  whole  family  laying  their  wilh'ng  offerings  upon  the 
altar  of  religion  is  a  pleasing  sight ;  and  perhaps  some  may 
be  admonished  to  perform  this  duty  by  seeing  with  what 
cheerfulness  a  heathen  family  offered  their  gifts  to  a  sense- 


214  TAXES   IMPOSED    BY   IDOLATRY. 

less  idol.  It  was  a  Hindoo  family,  all  moving  together 
towards  the  temple,  the  father  carrying  a  fowl  in  his  hand  ; 
a  daughter,  on  his  shoulder,  carrying  a  cocoanut ;  a  son, 
walking  by  his  father's  side,  with  three  sweet  potatoes  for  an 
offering  ;  the  mother,  holding  in  one  hand  a  dish  of  rice  and 
sugar,  with  some  flowers,  and  with  the  other  hand  supporting 
a  little  child,  who  is  about  to  offer  a  plantain.  Thus  they 
all,  even  to  the  smallest,  had  something  to  give  ;  a  beauti- 
ful scene,  truly,  liad  they  all  been  thus  going  in  company 
to  the  sanctuary  of  the  true  God.  May  not  the  scene  be 
improved  by  those  who  profess  to  be  enlightened  Christian 
worshippers  ? 

THE  SICK  GOD, 

The  utter  nonsense  and  stupidity  of  heathenism  is  set  in 
a  glaring  light  by  the  following  incident  related  in  the 
Youth's  Day-Spring,  in  1851.  Two  missionaries,  one  Eng- 
lish, and  the  other  American,  were  walking  around  the 
"  Temple  of  Siva,"  or  "  Great  Pagoda  of  Tanjore,  India," 
where  they  noticed  the  people  carrying  out  one  of  the  brass 
idols  in  procession  ;  and  it  being  a  warm,  sunny  day,  it  be- 
came heated.  Some  one  happened  to  touch  it,  and,  perceiv- 
ing that  it  was  very  warm,  concluded  it  must  have  a  fever  ! 
The  rajah,  or  king,  being  present,  sent  for  a  physician.  He 
came,  and  told  them  they  need  not  be  troubled,  for  the  god 
was  well  enough.  But  the  king  called  him  a  fool,  and  sent 
him  home,  and  ordered  that  another  physician  should  be 
called.  When  he  came,  he  told  them  the  god  was  very 
sick  —  had  a  high  fever,  and  remedies  must  be  applied  im- 
mediately, or  he  would  die.  So  he  directed  them  to  put 
him  in  a  shady  place,  and  washed  him  with  some  cool 
liquid,  and  when  he  was  well  cooled  off  the  doctor  pro- 
nounced him  curecZ/  And  the  rajah  gave  him  three  thou- 
sand rupees  —  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars  —  for  saving 
the  life  of  his  god. 

ADVERTISEMENT   OP  AN  IDOL-MANUFACTURER. 

In  1823,  the  following  advertisement  appeared  in  a  Can- 
ton paper,  China,  inserted  in  a  regular  business  way,  and 
with  as  single  an  eye  to  the  profits  of  trade  as  if  it  had  been 
an  advertisement  of  tea  or  silk.  It  ran  thus  :  —  "I,  Achen 
Tea  Chinchen,  a  lineal  descendant  of  Coup  Boi  Rache  Chin- 
chen,  the  celebrated  sculptor  and  carver  in  wood,  who, 
through  his  unremitting  studies  to  promote  rational  relig- 


ADVERTISEMENT   OF   AN   IDOL-MANUFACTURER.        215 

ious  worship,  by  the  classical  touches  of  his  knife  and  chisel, 
has  been  honored  by  emperors,  kings,  and  rajahs  of  the 
East,  and  supplied  with  superior  idols  for  public  and  domes- 
tic worship,  now  humbly  offer  my  services  in  the  same  the- 
ological line,  having  travelled  from  hence,  at  a  considerable 
expense,  to  perfect  myself  in  anatomy,  and  in  copying  the 
most  graceful  attitudes  of  the  human  figure,  under  those 
able  masters,  Nollekens  and  Bacon.  Achen  Tea  Chinchen 
is  now  in  possession  of  casts  of  the  most  approved  models 
and  Elgin  marbles.  He  is  ready  to  execute  to  order  idols 
from  twelve  feet  high,  well  proportioned,  down  to  the  size  of 
a  marmoset  monkey,  or  the  most  hideous  monster  that  can 
be  conceived,  to  inspire  awe  or  reverence  for  religion.  My 
charges  are  moderate.  For  an  orang-outang,  three  feet 
high,  seven  hundred  dollars  ;  ditto,  rampant,  eight  hundred  ; 
a  sphinx,  four  hundred  ;  a  bull  with  hump  and  horns,  six 
hundred  and  fifty  ;  a  bufialo,  eight  hundred  ;  a  dog,  two 
hundred ;  ditto,  couchant,  one  hundred  and  fifty ;  and  an 
ass,  in  a  braying  attitude,  eight  hundred.  The  most  dura- 
ble materials  will  be  used.  Of  statuary  granite,  brass,  cop- 
per, I  have  provided  sufficient  to  complete  orders  to  any  ex- 
tent. Perishable  wood  shall  never  disgrace  a  deity  made 
by  my  hands.  Posterity  may  see  the  objects  of  their 
fathers'  devotions  unsullied  by  the  inclemency  of  the 
seasons,  the  embraces  of  pious  pilgrims,  or  their  tears  on 
the  solemn  prostrations  before  them.  Small  idols  for  do- 
mestic worship,  or  made  into  portable  compass  for  pilgrims. 
The  price  will  be  proportionate  to  the  size  and  weight.  No 
trust ;  ready  money.  Any  order,  postpaid,  accompanied 
by  a  drawing  and  description  of  the  idol,  will  be  promptly 
attended  to,  provided  one  half  the  expense  be  first  paid, 
and  the  remainder  secured  by  any  respectable  house  in 
Canton." 

This  singular  and  disgusting  advertisement  indicates  very 
clearly  the  fact  that  idol-making  was,  and  is  now,  a  craft 
by  which  multitudes  have  their  gains  ;  and  also  the  fact 
that  idolatry  is  a  most  expensive  system,  its  devotees  being 
obliged  to  purchase  their  gods  at  an  enormous  cost,  as  indi- 
cated by  the  above  prices. — 3Iiss.  Mag.,  1854,  p.  148. 


SURPRISING  RESULTS. 


"WHAT  THE  MISSIONAKIES  HAVE  DONE. 

When  Jantze  Spielman,  a  Hottentot  of  Betlielsdorp,  was 
asked  by  Major  Colebrook  what  the  missionaries  had  done 
for  them,  he  answered:  "When  they  came  amongst  us, 
we  had  no  other  clothes  than  filthy  sheep-skins  ;  now  we 
are  dressed  in  English  manufactures.  We  had  no  written 
language  ;  now  we  can  read  the  Bible,  or  get  it  read  for  us. 
We  were  without  religion  ;  now  we  worship  God  with  our 
families.  Then  we  had  no  idea  of  morality ;  now  each  is 
faithful  to  his  own  wife.  We  were  given  up  to  profligacy 
and  drunkenness  ;  now  industry  and  sobriety  prevail 
amongst  us.  We  had  no  property  ;  and  now  the  Hotten- 
tots of  Bethelsdorp  have  fifty  wagons  and  a  corresponding 
number  of  cattle.  We  were  exposed  to  be  shot  like  wild 
beasts  ;  but  the  missionaries  placed  themselves  between  us 
and  the  muskets  of  our  enemies."  —  Rev.  B.  N.  NoeVs 
Christian  3Tissions,  p.  2'78. 

MEMORIES   OF  A  SOUTH  SEA   ISLANDER. 

Eev.  W.  Gill,  at  the  anniversar}'  of  the.  English  Wesleyan 
Missionary  Society,  in  1855,  made  the  following  remarks 
concerning  the  missionary  work  in  the  South  Sea  Islands  : 
"  There  have  been  triumphs  more  extended,  but  there  have 
not  been  triumphs  more  complete.  I  sometimes  think  that 
if  wo  could  gather  together  in  one  assembly  all  the  heathen 
that  have  died  in  Christ  since  this  society  was  instituted, 
the  effect  would  be  most  astounding.  But,  although  we 
cannot  gather  them  together,  there  they  are  ;  the  fact  is 
still  the  same.  Thirty-one  years  ago  the  first  missionary 
landed  on  the  island  of  Rarotonga.  Twenty-nine  years 
ago  the  first  European  missionary  landed  on  the  group  of 
islands  from  which  I  came.     In  the  year  1834,  the  first 


THE    CHANGE   IN   EIMEO.  217 

Cliristian  church  was  formed,  six  in  number.  Since  then, 
in  that  small  island,  one  thousand  members  have  died  in 
Christian  communion,  concerning  whom  we  have  as  much 
hope  as  your  ministers  can  have  of  you  when  you  die.  Last 
year,  before  I  left  Rarotonga,  we  thought  we  should  like  to 
have  a  united  communion  service.  We  gathered  together 
the  communicants  from  different  villages,  and  altogether 
about  fifteen  or  sixteen  hundred  persons  assembled.  After 
the  communion  addresses  were  made  by  the  people.  The 
young  men,  called  the  '  Gospel-born  generation,'  having 
been  born  since  the  Gospel  was  introduced  into  the  islands, 
spoke  freely.  They  declared  that  they  would  maintain  the 
profession  of  their  fathers,  and  many  of  them  said,  '  Here 
are  avc  ;  send  us  among  the  heathen.'  Last  of  all  a  man, 
amidst  a  noble  band  of  deacons,  got  up.  He  was  the  first 
native  Christian  who  landed  on  Rarotonga,  thirty  years 
ago,  to  tell  the  people  that  Jehovah  was  the  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ  the  true  Saviour.  As  he  rose,  he  pointed  to 
an  old  man,  and  said,  '  0,  I  remember  the  day  I  landed, 
thirty  years  ago,  when  you  tore  my  shirt  from  my  back,  and 
wanted  to  tear  my  flesh  from  my  bones  !  0,  what  have  I 
lived  to  see  1  Then  you  were  naked,  savage,  cannibal  men  ; 
but  now  you  are  clothed,  and  in  your  right  minds.'  He 
then  pointed  to  a  man  at  his  side,  a  fine,  tall,  athletic  fel- 
low, some  fifty  years  of  age,  and  said,  '  Rei !  0,  brother 
Rei !  do  yoxi  not  remember  when  you  stood  on  yonder  reef, 
and  poised  your  spear  at  me  when  I  landed  ?  You  meant 
to  thrust  it  into  me,  and  you  did  not  then  know  why  yon 
did  not.  But  here  we  are.'  He  then  took  up  a  Bible,  which 
had  just  come  from  England,  —  a  translation  complete,  into 
the  language  of  the  island,  —  and,  as  he  held  it  up  in  his 
hands,  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks.  He  could  not  speak  for 
a  minute  or  two,  but  at  length  he  said,  '  0,  when  I  look  at 
this  book,  I  feel  as  good  old  Simeon  felt  when  he  said, 
"Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation."  '  " 

THE  CHANGE  IN"  EIMEO. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Orsmund,  a  missionary  at  Eimeo,  in  the 
South  Seas,  states  that  he  overheard  several  chiefs  convers- 
ing among  themselves,  as  follows  : 

"  But  for  our  teachers,  our  grass  on  the  hill,  our  fences 
and  houses,  would  have  been  fire-ashes  long  ago  ;  "  mean- 
ing that  the  ravages  of  war  would  have  continued  to  deso- 


218  SURPEISING   RESULTS. 

late  the  land.  "  But  for  the  Gospel,  we  should  now  have 
been  on  the  mountains,  squeezing  moss  for  a  drop  of  water, 
eating  raw  roots,  and  smothering  the  cries  of  our  children, 
by  filling  their  mouths  with  dirt,  grass,  and  cloth.  Under 
the  reign  of  the  Messiah  we  stretch  out  our  feet  at  ease,  eat 
our  food,  keep  our  pig  by  the  house,  and  see  children,  wife, 
and  all,  at  table  in  the  same  house.  We  did  not  know 
more  than  our  ancestors,  our  kings,  and  our  parents  ;  and 
we  were  all  blind,  till  the  birds  flew  across  the  great 
expanse,  with  good  seeds  in  their  mouths,  and  planted  them 
among  us.  We  now  gather  the  fruit,  and  have  continual 
harvest.  It  was  God  who  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  those 
strangers  to  come  to  us.  We  have  nothing  to  give  them  ; 
but  we  are  a  people  of  thorny  hands,  of  pointed  tongues, 
and  we  have  no  thoughts.  If  God  were  to  take  our  teach- 
ers from  us,  we  should  soon  be  savage  again.  They  are 
the  great  roots  to  the  tree  on  the  high  hill.  The  wind 
strikes  it,  twists  it,  but  cannot  level  it  to  the  ground,  for  its 
roots  are  strong.  Our  hearts  delighted  in  war,  but  our 
teachers  love  peace,  and  we  now  have  peace." — Anecdotes 
of  London  Tract  Society,  p.  182. 

THE   GOSPEL   YN   A   DARK   FIELD. 

The  following  facts  show  how  little  the  wisdom  of  this 
world  can  calculate  the  forces  and  triumphs  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ.  In  1839,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lythe,  arrived  in  the  Feegee  Islands,  as  missionaries  of  the 
English  Wesleyan  Society.  Soon  after  their  arrival,  they 
were  informed  that  a  great  feast  was  about  to  take  place. 
The  position  of  the  mission-house  was  such  that  Mr.  Hunt 
witnessed  from  his  yard  the  whole  transaction.  Eleven 
human  victims,  saved  for  the  purpose  from  a  horrible  mas- 
sacre that  had  been  inflicted  upon  a  neighboring  town,  were 
dragged  along  the  ground,  by  ropes  around  their  necks,  to 
the  very  front  of  the  mission-house,  where,  after  the  cus- 
tomary ceremonies  were  over,  they  were  cut  up  and  cooked, 
one  of  them  only  two  or  three  yards  from  the  mission- 
grounds,  and  then  devoured,  to  glut  the  cannibal  appetite 
of  these  brutal  savages.  After  all  the  parts  but  the  head 
had  been  consumed,  the  king's  son  knocked  at  the  mission- 
ary's door  (which  was  opened  by  ]\Ir.  Hunt),  and  demanded 
wliy  their  windows  were  closed.  Mr.  Hunt  told  him,  "  to 
keep  out  the  sight  as  well  as  the  smell  of  the  bodies  they 
were    cooking."     The    savage    instantly   replied,    in    the 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  A   DAEK   FIELD.  219 

presence  of  the  missionaries'  wives,  that  if  it  occurred 
again  he  wouki  knock  them  on  the  head  and  eat  them  !  It 
happened,  about  this  time,  that  Mr.  Wilkes,  of  the  exploring 
exp(;dition,  was  at  the  islands,  and  was  personally  knowing 
to  these  occurrences  ;  and  it  was  in  view  of  these  that  he 
remarked,  in  his  journal,  "  I  know  of  no  situation  so  trying 
for  ladies  to  live  in,  as  the  Feegee  Islands  ;  and  it  is  not  to 
be  supposed,  under  this  state  of  things,  that  the  success  of 
missionaries  will  be  satisfactory,  or  adequate  to  their  exer- 
tions, or  a  sufficient  recompense  for  the  hardships,  depri- 
vations, and  struggles,  which  they  and  their  families  have 
to  encounter." 

Such  were  the  reasonings  of  one  who  estimated  things 
after  the  standard  of  this  world.  No  wonder  it  seemed  to 
him  a  "*forlorn  hope."  "  Wait,"  said  Judson,  when  he 
found  himself  in  the  midst  of  heathen  ignorance  and  degra- 
dation, "  and  if  we  live  twenty  years  you  may  hear  from  us 
again."  'Not  half  of  twenty  years  had  elapsed  when  the 
devoted  missionaries  to  the  Feegees  were  heard  from.  They 
addressed  themselves  to  their  task  with  a  faith  which  the 
world  could  not  appreciate.  In  less  than  ten  years  they 
said,  in  a  report,  "  It  is  cheering  to  observe  that  where  siu 
much  abounded,  grace  hath  much  more  abounded.  Many 
of  the  worst  cainiibals  in  the  Feegee  Islands  have  been  con- 
verted to  God  ;  and  a  multitude  of  the  common  people,  and 
some  of  the  chiefs,  have  been  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  The  New  Testament  is  translated  into  one  of 
the  Feegee  dialects,  and  soon  to  be  in  the  hands  of  teacher 
and  people."  Mr.  Lythe,  of  whose  hopeless  task  Mr.  Com- 
mander Wilkes  spoke,  wrote  about  the  same  time,  "  There 
has  been  a  gracious  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  at  the  towns  of 
Wathewathe  and  ^Vaitambu.  Mary  Jane,  the  wife  of 
Zephania  Lua,  chief  of  Wathewathe,  and  daughter  of  the 
king,  has  been  soundly  converted.  Immediately  after  the 
blessed  change,  she  went  to  the  king,  and  besought  him, 
with  filial  importunity,  at  once  to  embrace  religion,  stating 
that  she  had  just  now  found  its  reality.  About  forty  per- 
sons followed  the  example  of  this  woman,  and  embraced 
religion."  Mr.  Hunt  also,  in  speaking  of  this  work  of 
grace,  wrote,  "  To  describe  what  followed  is  impossible. 
Some  of  the  worst  cannibals  in  Feegee  were  suddenly  seized 
with  the  most  powerful  conviction,  and  a  sight  of  their 
state  and  danger  threw  them  into  an  agony  of  sorrow. 
They  wept  and  wailed  most  piteously.     They  now  under- 


220  SURPRISING    RESULTS. 

stood  truths  which  they  had  long  heard  without  effect ; 
doubts  and  difficulties  were  removed  by  the  faith-inspiring' 
Spirit ;  the  fact  of  their  acceptance  with  God  was  made  clear 
and  satisfactor}'." 

These  accounts  come  from  the  very  men  whose  situation 
and  exposure  among  savages  many  were  ready  to  deplore, 
and  of  whose  enterprise  Captain  Wilkes  thought  "  the  suc- 
cess could  not  be  satisfactory,  or  the  recompense  sufficient 
to  reward  the  sufferings,  trials,  and  hardships  they  would 
be  called  to  endure."  On  that  very  ground  —  on  the  soil 
where  was  held  that  horrid  carnival  of  human  flesh,  in  less 
than  ten  years,  chiefs  and  people  were  converted  to  God, 
and  illustrating,  in  their  Christian  worship  and  mutual  love, 
the  infinite  power  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. — Am.  Miss., 
vol.  II.,  p.  11. 

A    SUDDEN-   KBVOLUTIOIsr. 

A  great  moral  change,  such  as  is  never  effected  but  by 
the  Gospel  and  the  grace  of  God,  was  witnessed  at  Has- 
beiya,  and  is  thus  alluded  to  by  Rev.  E.  Smith.  After 
noticing  the  place  of  worship,  the  large  congregation,  and 
the  fact  that  it  was  the  first  Sabbath  the  missionaries  had 
spent  at  that  place,  he  says  :  "  How  strange  and  exciting 
our  circumstances  I  It  seemed  almost  a  dream.  Here  we 
were,  in  this  wild  corner  of  Syria,  always  peculiarly  lawless, 
and  now  entirely  without  a  government !  Before  us  was  a 
considerable  congregation,  brought  up  in  the  gross  and 
deeply-seated  superstitions  of  the  Greek  church,  but  now 
abandoning,  with  a  suddenness  almost  miraculous,  all  their 
fasts  and  feasts,  their  image  and  saint  worship,  and 
worshipping  God  with  us,  after  the  simple  form  of  Protest- 
antism !  Yet,  not  a  hand  was  raised  to  molest  us,  and  we 
went  through  our  worship  with  as  much  quiet  and  security 
as  if  we  had  been  in  the  heart  of  New  England."  These 
people  were  of  all  ages,  and  some  of  them  quite  wealthy, 
though  a  majority  of  them  were  poor.  A  remarkable  feature 
of  this  movement  was,  that  in  almost  every  instance  the 
men  were  joined  by  their  wives,  and  a  divided  house  was 
Bcarcely  known.  —  lli^is.  Her.,  1845,  p.  18. 

^WHAT    CHRISTIAN    ENERGY   CAN  ACCOMPLISH. 
Dr.  Carey,  the  pioneer  missionary  of  the  English  Baptists, 
without  early  classical  training,  brought  up  to  manual  labor, 
and  who  did  not  enter  on  his  missionary  work  till  he  was 


AN  IMPARTIAL    GOSPEL.  221 

somewhat  advanced  in  life,  learned  thirty-eight  languages, 
that  he  might  translate  the  Bible  into  them.  In  the  house 
which  he  occupied  at  Serampore,  near  Calcutta,  are  still  to 
be  seen,  in  manuscript,  his  Sanscrit  Dictionary,  in  five  fohos, 
of  seven  hundred  pages  each,  and  his  Bengali  Dictionary, 
and  other  large  works,  any  one  of  which  is  enough  to  give 
any  ordinary  man  a  world-wide  reputation.  The  oriental 
characters,  as  written  by  him,  are  so  perfect  that  it  requires 
a  close  examination  to  be  convinced  that  they  are  not 
printed.  Besides  all  this,  and  other  missionary  work,  he 
acted  as  professor  in  the  British  East  India  government 
college,  as  translator  for  the  government,  and  superintended 
an  indigo  plantation  — all  that  he  might  obtain  the  means 
for  supporting  the  mission.  —  Clih.  Miss.  Gleaner,  1855, 
p.  60. 

THE   ISLANDS    REJOICING. 

The  London  Missionary  Society,  in  its  Annual  Report  for 
1855,  makes  the  following  summary  :  "  The  distant  isles  of 
the  Pacific  were  the  first  fields  of  labor  on  which  the  fathers 
of  our  society  entered  ;  and,  to  iihoxxi  jifty  of  these  abodes 
of  darkness  and  death,  containing  nearly  one  hundred 
thousand  souls,  its  faithful  missionaries  have,  during  suc- 
ceeding years,  conveyed  the  light  of  life.  And,  in  addition 
to  the  multitudes  who  have  died  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  there 
are,  at  the  present  time,  upwards  oi  seven  thousand  members 
in  the  fellowship  of  the  church  ;  many  of  whom  have  been 
redeemed  by  grace  from  the  lowest  depths  of  degradation 
and  misery." 

ATsT   IMPABTIAL    GOSPEL. 

Rev.  Baptist  W.  Noel,  in  his  work  on  "Christian  Mis- 
sions," p.  272,  in  summing  up  the  efi'ects  of  missions,  says  : 
"  There  would  be  no  end  to  the  instances  which  might  bo 
adduced,  of  heathens  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  If  we  may  trust  to  accounts  of  those  devoted  men 
who  have  labored  to  save  their  souls,  then  South  Sea  Island- 
ers, and  West  Indian  Negroes,  Greenlanders,  Esquimaux, 
and  North  American  Indians,  Hottentots,  and  Cafitres  within 
the  Colony  of  the  Cape,  Griquas,  Namacquas,  and  Bechu- 
anas  beyond  the  frontier,  natives  of  India,  of  Ceylon,  and 
of  Burmah,  Malays,  Chinese,  Brahmins,  and  despised  Pari- 
ahs, priests  of  Oro,  and  abandoned  Areois,  the  most  degraded 
of  the  heathen  and  the  most  bitter,  have  been  so  converted 
19* 


222  SURPRISING    RESULTS. 

to  God  that  they  have  lived  well,  died  well,  leaving  to  those 
who  knew  them  best  the  complete  conviction  that  they  had 
really  loved  the  Lord,  and  that  they  had  gone  to  be  forever 
in  his  presence." 

■WITNESSES    FOB    MISSIONS. 

In  one  of  the  islands  of  the  Southern  Seas,  Tonga,  you  may 
go  into  a  place  of  Christian  worship,  and  if  you  are  "  given 
to  exhortation,"  you  will  ascend  the  pulpit,  and  on  the 
stairs  you  will  see  two  curiously  carved  images  supporting 
the  pulpit  rails.  They  were  once  the  gods  of  that  people. 
If  you  are  simply  a  fellow-worshipper,  and  you  kneel  down 
at  the  communion  rail  of  the  same  chapel,  you  will  notice 
that  the  very  rail  is  supported  by  shafts  of  spears,  which  the 
warriors  among  that  people  once  used  against  each  other. 

Touch  next  at  the  West  India  Islands.  The  emancipa- 
tion of  the  black  population  from  the  galling  fetters  of 
slavery  was  not  so  much  brought  about  by  the  Christian 
energy  and  eifort  of  the  men  at  home,  as  it  was  by  the  prep- 
aration of  the  negro  mind  for  freedom,  by  the  instrument- 
ality of  the  missionaries.  Go  to  death's  own  shore,  — 
Western  Africa  ;  go  to  death's  own  city,  —  Sierra  Leone  ; 
and  if  you  want  to  worship  the  great  God  and  Father  of  all, 
you  may  do  so  in  a  chapel  built  out  of  the  masts  and  spars 
and  plaidcs  of  condemned  slavers  ;  while  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands who  worship  there  have  been  liberated  with  a  better 
and  holier  freedom  than  any  man  or  set  of  men  can  confer. 
If  you  want  to  see  the  results  of  missionary  labors,  go  to 
Ashantee,  the  most  murderous  and  blood-thirsty  of  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth  ;  and  there  Wesleyan  Methodist  mission- 
aries have  pursued  their  aggressive  warfare,  while  their 
nerves  have  been  shocked  with  the  sights  of  corpses  rolling 
in  the  street,  headless  bodies,  and  heads  scattered  around 
them.  But  a  missionary  visited  them,  and  his  first  convert, 
on  his  dying  bed,  said  to  him,  "  I  hear  you  preach  last 
night  about  heaven.  I  could  not  be  there,  but  I  am  going 
to  heaven  itself;  and,  when  I  get  there,  I  will  go  to  my 
Saviour,  and  throw  myself  at  his  feet,  and  thank  him  for 
his  mercy  in  sending  a  missionary  to  this  land  to  tell  me  of 
the  truth.  Then  will  I  come  back  to  the  gate,  and  sit  d(jwn 
until  you  come;  and  then  I  will  take  you  to  my  Saviour's 
throne,  and  say  tliat  you  are  the  man  who  first  told  me  of 
the  cross  of  Jesus."  —  Am.  Miss.,  vol.  i.,  p.  71. 


A   CONTRAST.  223 


BURNING   IDOL-HOUSES. 


A  great  and  sudden  reformation  took  place  in  Niua,  one 
of  the  Friendly  Islands,  in  1836,  under  the  direction  of  a 
Wesleyan  missionary.  A  native  teacher  from  the  mission 
school,  accompanied  by  several  others,  opened  a  school  on 
the  island  ;  and  soon  they  were  joined  by  a  considerable 
number  of  the  inhabitants,  though  the  chief  was  opposed  to 
their  efforts.  The  little  band  continued  united,  and  their 
number  was  frequently  augmented  from  the  idolatrous  party. 
Some  months  alter  this,  the  chief  of  a  neighboring  island, 
friendly  to  Christianity,  visited  the  place,  for  the  purpose 
of  persuading  the  opposing  party  to  cast  off  the  Ij'ing  vani- 
ties of  heathenism.  lie  succeeded  in  his  object.  The  brand 
was  then  applied  to  the  houses  of  the  gods,  previously  held 
sacred,  and  they  were  entirely  consumed.  Previous  to  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  among  this  people,  their  cruelty 
towards  each  other  and  their  conquered  enemies  was  horri- 
ble beyond  description  ;  but,  after  the  events  just  described, 
they  were  equally  remarkable  for  their  love  to  enemies, 
bowels  of  mercies,  and  readiness  to  forgive.  —  London 
Missionary  Register. 

A  CONTRAST. 

Rev.  John  Williams,  whose  protracted  and  successful 
labors  in  the  South  Sea  Islands  have  been  the  admiration 
of  Christendom,  thus  speaks  of  a  particular  field, — Raro- 
tonga,  one  of  the  Ilervey  Islands.  lie  says,  "  In  reference 
to  Rarotonga,  I  cannot  forbear  drawing  a  contrast  between 
the  state  of  the  inhabitants  when  I  first  visited  them  in 
1823,  and  that  in  which  I  left  them  in  1834.  In  1823,  I 
found  them  all  heathens  ;  in  1834,  they  were  all  professing 
Christians.  At  the  former  period,  I  found  them  with  idols 
and  maraes  ;  these,  in  1834,  were  destroyed,  and  in  their 
stead  tliere  were  three  spacious  and  substantial  places  of 
Christian  worship,  in  which  congregations,  amounting  to 
six  thousand  persons,  assembled  ever}'  Sabbath  day.  I 
found  them  without  a  written  language,  and  left  them  read- 
ing in  their  own  tongue  'the  wonderful  works  of  God.'  I 
found  them  without  a  knowledge  of  the  Sabbath  :  and  when 
I  left  them,  no  manner  of  work  was  done  during  that  sacred 
day.  When  I  found  them,  in  1823,  they  were  ignorant  of 
the  nature  of  Christian  worship  ;  and  when  I  left  them,  in 
1834,  I  am  not  aware  that  there  was  a  house  in  the  island, 
where  family  prayer  was  not  observed  every  morning  and 


224  SUEPRISING   EESULTS. 

every  cvoui'ng.  I  speak  not  this  boastingly,  for  Hin  arm 
liatli  g'otten  him  tlie  victory,  and  He  shall  have  the  glory. " 
Mr.  Williams  adds  :  "  What  has  been  said  of  Rarotonga,  is 
equally  applicable  to  the  loJiole  of  the  Ilervey  Island  group  ; 
for,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  at  Mangaia,  I  believe  there 
does  not  remain  a  single  idolater,  or  vestige  of  idolatry,  in 
any  one  of  the  islands.  I  do  not  assert  that  all  the  people 
are  real  Christians  ;  but  I  merely  state  the  delightful  fact 
that  the  inhabitants  of  this  entire  group  have,  within  the 
space  of  ten  years,  abandoned  a  dark,  debasing,  and  san- 
guinary idolatry,  with  all  its  horrid  rites  ;  and,  if  nothing 
more  had  been  effected,  this  would  compensate  for  all  the 
privations  and  labors  by  which  it  has  been  accomplished." 
—  Williams's  Miss.  Enter,  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  511. 

A  REVIVAL  SCENE. 

During  a  revival  on  one  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  all 
classes  crowded  to  the  place  of  public  worship,  two  thou- 
sand being  generally  present.  The  children  thrust  them- 
selves in,  where  they  could  find  a  little  vacancy.  Old, 
hardened  transgressors,  who  had  scarcely  been  to  the  house 
of  God  for  the  whole  fifteen  years  that  the  Gospel  had  been 
preached  at  that  place,  were  now  seen  in  tears,  melting 
down  under  the  power  of  omnipotent  truth.  "  Tlie  blind," 
says  a  missionary,  "  whom  we  had  never  seen  before,  we 
now  saw,  as  we  went  to  the  house  of  God,  led  along  some- 
times by  a  parent,  a  child,  or  a  grandchild.  Cripples  also 
sometimes  aflected  our  hearts  deeply,  as  we  saw  them 
laboring  to  get  to  God's  temple,  as  hard  as  some  have  done 
to  reach  that  of  Juggernaut.  Two  of  these  were  seen,  and 
may  be  seen  every  day,  crawling  on  their  hands  and  feet  to 
every  meeting."  — Jfes.  Her.,  1839,  p.  153. 

POLYGAMY  YIELDING  TO   CHRISTIANITY. 

The  missionaries  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  in 
the  island  of  Lifu,  Western  Polynesia,  found  not  only  can- 
nibalism, but  polygamy,  to  be  generally  prevalent  among 
the  natives.  After  laboring  on  the  island  about  two  years, 
cannibalism  entirely  disappeared  ;  and  polygamy,  still  more 
difficult  to  eradicate,  vanished  under  the  light  of  a  pure 
Gospel.  Especially  was  this  a  dillicult  vice  to  root  out, 
when,  as  in  Lifu,  the  wives  were  virtually  the  servants  or 
slaves  of  the  husband,  and  did  all  the  most  laborious  work. 


THE    SANDWICH    ISLANDS. A    CONTRAST.  225 

The  missionaries  say,  in  1852,  "There  are  about  seventy 
candidates  lor  baptism,  all  of  wliom  have  abandoned  this, 
and  every  other  heatlien  practice."  Of  three  hundred  mem- 
bers of  the  "Friday  meeting,"  not  one  continued  in  the 
practice  of  polygamy ;  and  it  was  a  condition  of  admission, 
that  this  practice  should  be  laid  aside.  This  has  been  the 
principle,  invariably,  it  is  believed,  upon  which  the  mission- 
aries of  the  London  Society  have  treated  this  vice.  —  Lon. 
Miss.  Mag.,  1853,  p.  185. 

CHRISTIANITY  VS.  IWFIDELITY. 

In  1822,  Dr.  Carey  wrote  from  his  mission  field  in  India : 
"About  fifty  years  ago,  one  of  the  sovereigns  of  Europe 
was  employed  in  writing  fourteen  volumes  of  lampoons  on 
Christianity.  Voltaire,  in  all  his  multifarious,  much-read 
publications,  constantly  made  Christianity  the  butt  of  his 
ridicule  and  sarcasm.  The  Encj'^clopedists  attacked  Chris- 
tianity in  a  more  grave  manner.  Gibbon  and  Plume  did  the 
same,  and  a  host  of  novelists,  writers  for  the  theatre,  and 
pamphleteers,  followed  in  the  rear;  if  not  actually  saying, 
as  the  Abbe  Baruel  asserts,  '  Ecrasez  VInfame,'  at  least 
acting  up  to  the  spirit  of  what  is  charged  upon  them  by 
that  waiter.  Noio,  sovereigns  on  their  thrones  declare 
themselves  on  the  side  of  religion,  and  encourage  Bible 
societies  and  other  associations  to  do  good  ;  while  all  ranks, 
from  the  noble  to  the  slave,  unite  to  promote  the  same  object. 
Who  that  loves  God  or  man  can  behold  the  present  state  of 
things,  without  thanks  to  God  ?"  —  Eng.  Bap.  Miss.  Her., 
March,  1823. 

THE   SAND^WICH  ISLANDS.  — A  CONTRAST. 

"  Once  they  were  a  nation  of  thieves.  They  were  trained 
to  the  art.  Chiefs  kept  men  practised  to  steal.  Robbers 
lurked  in  all  places  of  concealment.  Plunder  was  the  object 
in  the  murder  of  crews  and  the  breaking  up  of  ships.  Thiev- 
ing was  the  great  annoyance  of  foreign  residents  and  the 
early  missionaries.  But  for  many  years  the  evil  has  existed 
to  a  less  extent  than  in  most  Christian  lands.  The  experi- 
ence of  the  writer  took  him  entirely  by  surprise.  He  was 
at  one  time  entirely  alone  among  them,  in  one  of  the  most 
secluded  and  least  instructed  parts  of  Hawaii.  The  most 
abundant  opportunities  for  pilfering  were  daily  occurring, 
but  not  in  one  instance  was  his  conhdeuce  misplaced.     lie 


226  SURPRISING   RESULTS. 

has  given  open  bureau  drawers,  filled  with  clothing,  and 
pails  and  blankets,  filled  with  many  things  tempting  to  a 
native's  eye,  to  be  carried  by  strange  men  and  women  and 
children  over  a  foot-path  of  twelve  miles,  all  along  which 
were  convenient  places  of  concealment ;  but  he  never  knew 
that  an  article  was  taken.  Missionaries  have  been  accus- 
tomed for  many  years  to  go  from  the  difierent  islands  to 
General  Meeting,  taking  their  families  with  them,  and  leav- 
ing their  houses  unguarded.  Only  in  three  instances  has 
house  or  property  been  disturbed.  These  were  of  recent 
occurrence  ;  and,  in  one  or  two  cases,  the  evidence  was 
conclusive  that  foreigners  were  the  instigators,  or  the 
thieves. 

"  Idolatry  once  filled  the  land  with  terror.  It  rent  the 
air  with  shrieks  of  alarm,  or  yells  of  savage  delight.  It 
drenched  the  altars  and  bathed  the  feet  of  monstrous  gods 
with  human  blood.  It  gathered  shameless  crowds  to  an 
obscene  and  cruel  worship.  It  crushed  the  people  under 
its  fearful  tabu.  But  where  the  priest  strangled  human  vic- 
tims, the  preacher  now  offers  Christ.  Where  wildly  rung 
the  revelry  of  excess,  is  now  spread  the  table  of  commun- 
ion. All  over  the  islands  the  Sabbath  is  remarkable  for 
its  stillness.  Large  congregrations  assemble  for  religious 
instruction  in  every  district.  Children  are  everywhere 
gathered  into  Sabbath-schools.  Adults  are  associated  in 
Bible-classes.  Daily  morning  prayer-meetings,  and  weekly 
or  semi-weekly  lectures  and  conferences,  are  attended  in 
most  of  the  churches.  Most  of  the  children  of  the  nation, 
and  most  of  the  members  of  the  churches,  commit  one 
verse  of  the  Bible  every  day.  Thousands  ask  the  blessing 
of  God  on  their  daily  food.  As  many  observe  morning  and 
evening  fomily  worship.  A  missionary  society  has  been 
formed  from  among  the  native  churches,  which  has  two 
missions  under  its  care,  one  in  the  King's  Mill  group,  in 
Micronesia,  and  one  at  the  Marquesas  Islands  ;  and,  accord- 
ing to  their  ability  and  numbers,  it  may  be  safely  said  that 
the  Sandwich  Island  churches  are  giving  more  for  benevo- 
lent purposes  than  any  other  body  of  Christians  on  the 
globe." 

The  foregoing  contrast  is  from  "The  Past  and  Present 
of  the  Sandwich  Islands,"  by  Rev.  T.  D.  Hunt,  former 
missionary  to  the  islands,  and  now  pastor  of  a  church  in 
San  Francisco 


CHANGES  IN  THIETY  YEARS.  227 

■WONDERFUL  RESULTS  IN"  NE"W  ZEALAND. 

In  1846,  an  English  paper  said:  "What  human  likeli- 
hood was  there  thirty,  or  even  twenty  years  ago,  that  New 
Zealand,  savage,  pagan,  cannibal,  would  in  so  short  a  time 
be  placed,  at  the  desire  of  her  own  chiefs,  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  British  crown  ;  that  pagan  customs  and  barba- 
rous rites  would  be  rapidly  disappearing  ;  that  large  bodies 
of  her  population  would  be  Christian  in  profession,  and  not 
a  few  Christians  in  heart  and  in  life  ;  children  trained  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  ;  cluu'ches  built,  the 
Bible  extensively  read  and  devoutly  studied,  the  Christian 
Sabbath  kept  holy,  a  considerable  number  of  clergymen 
officiating  with  all  the  regularity  of  an  English  parish  to 
large  congregations,  and  administering  the  Lord's  Supper 
to  many  of  tlie  converted  and  consistently-walking  aborig- 
ines ;  that  a  bishopric  would  be  established,  and  now  a  col- 
lege projected  for  training  schoolmasters,  catechists,  and 
pastors,  both  from  among  the  converted  aborigines,  and 
from  that  considerable  body  of  young  persons,  the  children 
of  the  missionaries  and  of  other  Europeans  resident  in  New 
Zealand  —  natives,  though  not  aborigines?  The  population 
of  New  Zealand  is  computed  at  one  hundred  and  ten  thou- 
sand, and  of  these,  forty  thousand  attend  divine  service 
under  European  and  native  teachers  —  a  much  larger  pro- 
portion than  will  be  found  in  many  English  towns."  —  Amer- 
ican Missionarij,  vol.  i.,  p.  46. 

CHANGES   IN    THIRTY  YEARS. 

Says  the  Missionary  Register  for  1853,  p.  483:  "On 
the  8th  of  August,  1822,  the  Rev.  William  Williams,  now 
Archdeacon  Williams,  received  the  instructions  of  the  com- 
mittee on  his  departure  for  New  Zealand.  On  the  6th  of 
August,  1853,  the  archdeacon's  son,  Rev.  Leonard  Williams, 
received  the  instructions  of  the  committee  on  his  departure 
for  the  same  mission  field.  During  this  period  a  great 
change  has  been  accomplished  in  New  Zealand.  The  in- 
structions of  the  8th  of  August,  1822,  expressly  stated  that 
there  was  not  then  a  single  Christian  convert  amongst  the 
natives  of  New  Zealand.  At  the  present  moment  the  rem- 
nant of  heathenism  left  among  them  is  so  small  as  not  to 
interfere  with  their  being  pronounced  a  professedly  Chris- 
tian people.  A  corresponding  iiiilnence  has  been  exercised 
on  the  national  character.  Cannilialism  is  extinct,  and  the 
sanguinary  spirit  that  gladly  availed  itself  of  every  pretext 


228  SURPRISING   RESULTS. 

to  break  forth  in  deeds  of  blood,  is  laid.  The  New  Zealand- 
ers  have  exchanged  the  spear  and  club  for  the  ploughshare 
and  the  reaping-hook  ;  and  tribes,  which  once  wasted  the 
districts  of  their  neighbors,  are  diligently  employed  in  the 
cultivation  of  their  own.  Christian  Sabbaths  and  Christian 
ordinances  are  generalized  all  over  the  island,  and  this  na- 
tional profession  is  inclusive  of  a  large  proportion  of  gen- 
uine godliness.  If  it  be  asked  by  what  means  the  change 
has  been  accomplished,  we  answer,  by  the  preaching  and 
teaching  of  'Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified,'  and  God's 
blessing  on  the  same." 

SOUTH  AFKICA   TEN  YEARS  AGO. 

Some  dissatisfaction  and  discouragement  having  been 
expressed  in  I'egard  to  the  mission  of  the  American  Board 
in  South  Africa,  the  missionaries  in  that  field  answered 
these  fears  by  the  following  statement  of  facts :  "  Ten 
years  ago  there  were  no  churches,  and  not  more  than  one 
or  two  converts  connected  with  the  mission.  Now  there 
are  eight  churches,  embracing  about  one  hundred  and 
ninety-five  members  in  good  standing,  fourteen  of  whom 
have  been  baptized  during  the  past  year.  Among  a  nation 
of  inveterate  polygamists,  where  ten  years  ago  the  true 
family  relation,  with  its  obligations,  was  unknown,  there 
are  now  about  one  hundred  married  men  residing  at  our 
stations,  each  the  husband  of  one  wife  only,  the  majority  of 
whom  have  been  married  by  a  Christian  minister,  in  accord- 
ance with  civilized  usage.  Of  these  one  hundred  families, 
there  are  sixty  or  more  in  which  both  the  husband  and  wife 
are  professors  of  religion,  and  about  twenty  others  where 
the  husband  alone  is  a  professor,  making  an  aggregate  num- 
ber of  about  eighty  households  where  the  family  altar  has 
been  erected.  Between  sixty  and  seventy  of  these  families 
have  exchanged  the  barbarous  Caffre  hut  for  dwellings  bet- 
ter adapted  to  the  ends  of  civilized  life.  Among  a  people 
who,  but  a  short  time  since,  were  without  a  written  lan- 
guage, there  are  now  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  connected 
with  our  mission  who  are  al)lc  to  read  the  word  of  God  in 
their  own  tongue.  In  order  to  show  American  Christians 
that  these  people  are  gradually  progressing  in  civilization, 
we  will  add,  that  the  natives  at  four  of  our  more  advanced 
stations  are  the  owners  of  seven  large  wagons,  twelve  carts, 
and  nine  ploughs,  and,  until  within  a  few  months,  they  pos- 
sessed nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  trained  oxen.     An  epi- 


DR.  LIVINGSTON   AND    AFRICA.  229 

demic  among'  cattle  has  reduced  this  number.  At  the  older 
stations  every  year  shows  a  decided  advance  in  civiliza- 
tion ;  and  nothing,  in  a  worldly  point  of  view,  so  tends  to 
pi'omote  civilized  tastes,  habits,  and  employments,  as  these 
wagons,  carts,  and  ploughs." — Miss.  Her.,  1857,  p.  30. 

A   NATION  REGENERATED. 

At  a  meeting  in  London  for  the  reception  of  the  great 
African  explorer.  Dr.  Livingston,  one  of  the  speakers.  Sir 
H.  Rawlinson,  remarked,  in  reference  to  the  labors  of  mis- 
sionaries, that  "  he  himself  had  witnessed  the  reclaiming  of 
an  entire  nation,  —  if  he  might  call  that  a  nation  which  con- 
sisted of  from  thirty  thousand  to  forty  thousand  families, 
the  Nestorian  Christians,  —  enveloped  in  the  deepest  bar- 
barism twenty  years  ago  ;  and  now,  by  the  aid  of  a  little 
band  of  American  missionaries,  he  saw  them  taking  their 
stand  amongst  the  civilized  nations  of  the  world.  Their 
literature  had  revived,  schools  were  established  throughout 
the  country,  a  journal  was  printed  and  published  in  their 
own  native  Syriac  language.  And  when  he  rejflected  on 
that  example,  he  could  w^ell  understand  that  in  Southern 
Africa  the  same  results  might  be  expected  in  God's  own 
time."  — London  3Iiss.  Mag.,  1857,  p.  12. 

DR.  LIVINGSTON  AND  AFRICA. 

Among  the  results  of  missionary  labor,  the  author  cannot 
omit  to  mention  the  important  tours  of  discovery  made  by 
Dr.  Livingston,  and  reported  in  the  London  Missionary 
Chronicle,  for  January,  1857.  Dr.  Livingston  has  spent 
sixteen  years  in  Africa,  under  the  patronage  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  and  of  his  labors  the  Chronicle  says  : 

"  He  left  his  station  at  Kolobeng,  two  hundred  miles 
north  of  the  Kuruman,  on  the  first  of  June,  1819,  accompa- 
nied by  Messrs.  Oswell  and  Murray,  in  quest  of  the  '  oft- 
reported  lake  beyond  the  desert.'  Notwithstanding  their 
privations,  they  held  on  their  way  until  the  Ith  of  Juh^ 
when  they  struck  on  the  magnificent  Youga;  and,  after 
'  winding  along  its  banks  nearly  three  hundred  miles,'  their 
perseverance  was  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  the  Lake  Ngami. 
Not  being  provided  with  a  boat,  and  the  chief  of  the  Bata- 
vana  keeping  his  men  beyond  their  reach,  the  travellers 
were  not  able  to  gain  the  northern  side.  An  attempt  to 
form  a  raft  was  unsuccessful.  The  jealousy  of  the  native 
chiefs  had  not  yet  been  overcome. 
20 


230  SUEPEISING   RESULTS. 

"A  second  journey  was  undertaken  in  April,  1850.  Mrs. 
Livingston  and  family,  and  Sechale,  the  chief  of  the  Bak- 
wains,  were  now  added  to  the  party,  but  the  prevalence  of 
marsh-fever  in  the  lake  region  compelled  them  again  to 
return. 

"  Undaunted  by  former  difiQculties,  Dr.  Livingston  com- 
menced a  third  journey,  in  September,  1851  ;  and  this  time 
he  and  Mr.  Oswell  succeeded  in  overcoming  all  obstacles, 
and  in  reaching  the  town  of  Sebitoane,  the  chief  of  Mako- 
lolo.  They  were  now  introduced  to  numerous  and  powerful 
tribes,  living  in  large  villages,  in  a  fertile  country,  and  pos- 
sessing great  herds  of  cattle  and  abundance  of  grain.  Un- 
like the  tribes  further  south,  the  Banyeti,  Dr.  Livingston 
says,  are  excellent  smiths,  making  o.x  and  sheep  bells, 
spears,  knives,  needles,  and  hoes,  of  superior  workmanship. 
Iron  abounds  in  their  country,  and  is  of  excellent  quality. 
They  extract  it  from  the  ore,  and  they  are  famed  as  canoe- 
builders.  Other  tribes  are  famed  for  their  skill  in  pottery 
This  seemed  an  inviting  field  for  missionary  labor,  but  Dr. 
Livingston  wished  to  find  a  higher  elevation  and  a  more 
congenial  climate,  and  this  led  to  his  fourth  journey. 

"  But,  preparatory  to  this  his  last  effort  to  reach  the  inte- 
rior. Dr.  Livingston  accompanied  his  wife  and  family  to  Cape 
Town,  and  sent  them  to  England.  On  the  8th  of  June, 
1852,  he  once  more  girded  himself  for  his  great  undertak- 
ing ;  and,  after  almost  insurmountable  hardships,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  St.  Paul  de  Loando,  on  the  west  coast 
of  Africa,  in  latitude  five  degrees  south,  or  about  thirty 
degrees  north  of  the  Cape.  His  health  suffered  severely, 
and  it  was  feared  his  work  was  done  ;  but  he  once  more 
rallied,  and  then,  with  a  devotion  to  his  object  never  sur- 
passed. Dr.  Livingston  traversed  the  entire  continent,  and 
reached  Quilimane,  on  the  eastern  coast,  on  the  26th  of 
May,  1856,  —  a  feat  probably  without  a  parallel  in  the  his- 
tory of  adventure.  In  these  several  journeys.  Dr.  Living- 
ston has  traversed  nearly  eleven  thou.^and  miles,  over  coun- 
tries in  which,  for  the  greater  part,  the  foot  of  the  white 
man  had  never  trod.'' 

The  explorations  and  discoveries  of  Dr.  Livingston,  being 
of  a  missionary  character,  and  of  immense  importance  to 
Afi'ica  and  to  the  civilized  world,  this  brief  record  has  been 
thought  proper  in  this  place.  Full  and  elaborate  reports 
will  appear  from  the  pen  of  the  distinguished  missionary 
himself. 


CHARACTER  OF  PAPAL  MISSIONS. 


Catholics  have  ever  been  ready  to  claim  for  their  church 
an  unequalled  zeal  and  self-sacrifice  in  the  propagation  of 
the  Gospel  among  the  heathen  ;  and  Protestants  have  been 
too  ready  to  admit  the  claim.  Rome  has,  indeed,  sent  her 
emissaries  into  every  corner  of  the  globe  ;  but  they  have 
gone  to  Romanize  and  secularize,  not  to  Christianize,  —  to 
proselyte  in  evangelical  fields,  not  to  convert  from  heathen- 
ism. Rome  cannot  point  to  a  single  spot,  in  all  heathendom, 
where  her  servants  have  led  the  way,  dispelled  the  dark- 
ness, cultivated  the  field,  and  made  it  as  the  garden  of  the 
Lord.  Papal  missionaries  have  entered  Protestant  vine- 
yards, sown  seeds  of  discord,  corrupted  converts,  and  made 
more  and  worse  opposition  to  the  Gospel,  than  even  idolatry 
itself.  The  following  facts  are  introduced  as  showing  this, 
and  as  showing  that  Rome  has  neither  part  nor  lot  in  the 
work  and  reward  of  evangelizing  the  heathen  world.  The 
facts  are  taken  from  many  fields,  and  the  volume  might 
have  been  filled  with  similar  statements,  from  the  most 
reliable  sources.  A  few  pages  only,  on  this  point,  have 
been  deemed  necessary. 

CLAIMING  OTHER  MEN'S  LABORS. 

Says  the  Church  Missionary  Gleaner,  for  1850,  in  speak- 
ing of  New  Zealand  :  "  Poperj'^  is  very  busy  just  now,  com- 
passing sea  and  land  to  make  proselytes.  It  is  thus  that 
she  walks  to  and  fro  throughout  the  wide  circle  of  Prot- 
estant missions.  There  are  dreary  wastes  of  heathenism, 
where,  if  her  object  were  to  do  good,  she  might  go  and 


232  CHARACTER    OF    PAPAL    MISSIONS, 

teach.  But  the  little  gardens,  which  the  Protestant  mission- 
aries have  fenced  in  from  tl)e  wilderness,  seem  in  a  special 
manner  to  attract  her  attention.  There  her  priests  are  sure 
to  come.  Perhaps  she  thinks  it  well  that  we  should  go 
and  do  the  rough  work,  dig  up  the  roots,  remove  the  stones, 
bring  the  ground  into  order,  form  the  little  channels  which 
will  make  it  a  well-watered  garden,  and  then,  when  all  looks 
wx'll,  Rcnne  comes  and  tells  us,  '  I  have  permitted  you  to  do 
so  much,  but  now  you  must  leave  ;  this  is  my  property  ; 
the  nations  are  my  inheritance  ;  especiall}''  the  converts  you 
have  baptized  belong  to  me  ;  for  all  baptized  persons  are 
mine.'  If  the  Protestant  missionaries  think  this  unreasona- 
ble, and  demur,  she  slanders  them,  and  does  all  she  can  to 
hinder  the  work  ;  and  it  is  very  clear  that  the  Church  of 
Rome  would  rather  see  the  nations  all  heathen,  than  brought 
under  the  care  of  Protestant  missions.  Rome  has  been  thus 
busy  in  New  Zealand.  A  Romish  bishop  reached  those  dis- 
tant islands  just  as  the  natives  generally  were  beginning  to 
improve,  and  open  to  Christian  instruction.  The  mission- 
aries had,  at  that  time,  about  thirty-five  thousand  under 
their  teaching.  The  Romish  bishop,  in  his  letters,  written 
immediately  on  coming  to  the  island,  set  them  all  down  to  his 
own  account !  saying,  '  Almost  all  the  natives  of  the  north 
island  belong  to  the  Catholic  church.'  He  found  it  much 
easier,  however,  to  write  the  New  Zealand  converts  Roman- 
ists, than  to  make  them  so.  They  had  learnt  to  read  (per- 
haps there  is  no  instance  on  record  of  a  people  acquiring 
the  art  of  reading  so  rapidly),  and  they  had  just  been  sup- 
plied with  the  New  Testament  by  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Societj^  and  thus  they  were  well  fortified,  and  proved 
more  than  a  match  for  the  priests." 

MINISTERS   OF  WICKEDISrESS. 

So  much  has  been  said  of  the  zeal  and  sacrifices  of  Popish 
missionaries,  as  if  they  were  really  in  earnest  to  convert  the 
world,  that  it  may  surprise  some  to  know  what  sort  of  tidings 
they  carry  to  the  people.  The  following  is  a  specimen,  taken 
from  the  journal  of  Rev.  Mr.  Emerson,  Missionary  of  the 
Board  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  He  says  :  "  With  the  large 
mass  of  those  who  join  the  Papists,  there  is  little  other 
reason  for  it,  than  that  their  religion  imposes  few  restraints, 
allows  of  almost  everything  that  their  carnal  minds  would 
crave,  and  makes  promises  of  eternal  life,  positive  and  sure, 
to  characters  too  vicious  and  profligate  to  be  associated 


LEAVES  THE  HEATHEN  AS  IT  FOUND  THEM.    233 

with  Christians  on  any  terms  of  fellowship.  Rum  and  awa- 
driiiking  are  said  by  the  priests  to  be  no  fault.  Adultery 
becomes  a  fault  only  when  detected.  The  Sabbath-day  is 
not  specially  sacred,  not  more  so  than  some  other  festivals. 
Gambling,  card-playing,  horse-racing,  &c.,  are  not  criminal 
on  the  Sabbath.  These  last  have  been  done  by  the  priests 
themselves,  in  order  to  show  that  they  are  not  sins." 
Another  missionary  at  the  same  islands,  says,  "The  Popery 
which  has  been  introduced  here  is  gross  in  theory,  and 
abominable  in  practice.  Adulterers  and  drunkards  are  all 
admitted  to  their  church  at  once.  All  apostates  from  our 
churches,  even  the  vilest,  are  not  only  admitted,  but  are  the 
best  of  their  converts,  and  the  only  teachers  they  have  for 
their  schools.  An  Irish  priest  said  to  me  that  he  could 
have  true  faith,  and  gel  drunk,  and  lie,  habitually."  Such  is 
the  good  news  which  is  carried  to  the  heathen  by  this  class 
of  missionaries. — J/m.  Her.,  1842,  pp.  246,  286. 

MUTILATING  THE   WOKD. 

The  priests  of  the  Romish  church  make  sad  havoc  with 
the  Word  of  God,  in  the  fields  of  missionary  labor.  A  mis- 
sionary of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  in  India,  in  his 
journal  of  1851,  saj^s,  "We  are  obliged  to  distinguish  our 
religion  from  Popery,  which  is  propagated  here  in  some  of 
its  worst  features.  In  their  ten  commandments,  they  have 
omitted  the  second  altogether,  and  divided  the  tenth  into 
two,  in  order  to  retain  the  complete  number."  The  same 
writer  adds,  that,  in  the  Roman  Catholic  villages,  which  are 
numerous,  "  the  people  pursue  their  common  employments 
on  the  Sabbath." 

KILLING   HERETICS. 

A  Maronite  monk  (Catholic)  advised  a  man  on  Mount 
Lebanon  to  shoot  his  brother,  for  becoming  a  heretic,  that 
is,  a  Protestant ;  and,  when  he  remonstrated  with  him,  he 
answered,  with  great  glee,  that  the  Pope  and  the  Council  of 
Trent  had  sanctioned  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  ! 

LEAVES  THE  HEATHEN  AS  IT  FOUND  THEM. 

The  missionaries  at  New  Zealand  wrote,  in  1838,  "  Roman 

Catholicism  is  endeavoring  to  raise  its  head  in  New  Zealand. 

The  worshippers  of  images  have  set  up  their  standard  ;  it 

does  not  appear  that  more  is  required  from  their  converts 

20* 


234  CHARACTER   OF   PAPAL   MISSIONS.     " 

than  an  acquiescence  in  modes  of  worship.  Tlieir  ceremony 
of  baptism  consists  in  suspending'  a  piece  of  copper  from 
tlie  neck  This,  they  tell  tlie  natives,  will  constitute  them 
Christians  till  their  death  ;  and,  after  their  death,  by  present- 
ing that  piece  of  copper  at  the  gate  of  heaven,  it  will  pro- 
cure for  them  admittance  there  !  The  system  of  Popery 
leaves  the  people,  as  it  found  them,  in  gross  ignorance  and 
darkness,  and  under  the  influence  of  every  evil  passion. 
The  wiser  natives  see  its  fallacy  too  well  to  embrace  its 
doctrines."  In  1840,  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop  used  great 
eiforts  to  make  proselytes  among  the  natives.  Among  other 
things  he  told  them  that  "  the  Protestant  missionaries  were 
only  the  pioneers  of  colonists  who  would  murder  the  natives, 
and  take  away  their  land  from  them  ;  that  the  Testament 
was  a  stolen  book,  and  that  was  the  reason  why  the  mis- 
sionaries always  carried  it  under  their  arm."  —  Missionary 
Guide-Book,  p.  295. 

EKC  OUR  AGING  VICE. 

A  Catholic  priest  in  Honolulu  displayed  great  zeal  in 
propagating  Romanism  among  the  natives  who  had  begun 
to  receive  correct  notions  of  Christianity.  He  proscribed 
the  Bible,  as  translated  hy  the  American  missionaries,  and 
circulated  a  tract,  in  which  wei'e  some  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, but  much  more  of  tradition.  He  encouraged  the 
natives  in  the  use  of  tobacco,  wine,  and  brandy,  discour- 
aged marriage,  and  told  them  that  the  missionaries  were 
living  in  adultery.  In  the  island  of  Oahu,  the  reasons  given 
by  many  natives  for  leaving  the  missionaries  and  joining  the 
Catholics,  were,  that  the  former  were  opposed  to  rum  and 
tobacco,  and  the  illicit  intercourse  of  the  sexes,  while  the 
Catholic  priest  did  not  object  to  any  of  these  things. — Miss. 
Her.,  1840,  p.  3V3. 

THE  BISHOP  AND  THE  NATIVE. 

The  emissaries  of  the  Pope,  always  busy  around  mission- 
ary stations,  are  often  over-matched  in  argument  liy  the 
simple  natives  who  have  been  instructed  in  the  Word  of 
God.  The  following  instances  occurred  in  New  Zealand. 
A  baptized  native,  named  Samuel,  met,  in  a  public  place, 
tlie  Roman  Catholic  bishop  and  a  priest.  Opening  his  cat- 
echism, he  called  their  attention  to  the  second  command- 
ment, and  told  them,  "Our  teachers  tell  us  that  these  are 
the  commandments  of  God,  taken  from  his  word,  the  Bible. 


^  HEATHENISH   PEIESTS.  235 

Now,  this  tells  me  that  I  must  not  bow  down  to  idols, 
which  you  evidently  do  ;  and  I  find,  moreover,  that  you 
have  not  got  the  second  commandment  among  the  others, 
but  that  it  is  altogether  omitted.  I,  therefore,  do  not  be- 
lieve that  your  religion  is  true,  and  we  do  not  like  it.  You 
also  say  that  our  missionaries  are  adulterers,  because  they 
are  married,  and  are  living  with  their  wives  ;  but,  if  you 
call  them  adulterers,  you  must  call  Peter  an  adulterer  ;  for, 
it  says,  here,  in  my  Testament,  that  Peter^s  tcife's  mother 
was  sick  of  a  fever." 

"Well,  Samuel,"  said  the  missionary,  "what  did  the 
bishop  say  to  all  this  ?  "  —  "  0,"  he  replied,  "  the  form  of 
his  face  became  quite  changed  ;  he  could  not  look  at  me, 
but  turned  the  other  way,  and,  with  the  priest,  walked  to 
the  other  end  of  the  pa." 

Another  missionary  in  New  Zealand,  about  the  same  date, 
says,  "The  Romish  bishop  one  day  met  with  one  of  our 
natives,  and,  speaking  about  us  missionaries,  he  said,  '  They 
have  houses,  and  wives,  and  children  ;  all  their  love  is  for 
them  ;  but,  we  have  none  ;  therefore  all  our  love  is  for  you.' 
Our  native  replied,  '  Is  it,  then,  wicked  for  a  missionary  to 
have  a  wife  and  children  ?  '  lie  said,  '  I  am  an  apostle 
and  bishop  of  Christ,  and  I  tell  you  it  is.'  The  native 
answered,  '  St.  Paul  was  also  an  apostle,  and  he  said,  a 
bishop  ought  to  be  the  husband  of  one  loife.'  The  bishop 
said  no  more." —  Church  Missionary  Record,  1841,  p.  100. 

HEATHENISH  PRIESTS. 

The  Papists  of  Dindigul  and  vicinity  (India)  are  as  igno- 
rant and  heathenish  as  the  heathen.  Not  only  do  the  priests 
pay  no  attention  to  education,  but  they  discourage  their 
receiving  any.  A  small  church  is  built  in  a  village,  a  few 
images  ai-e  placed  in  it,  and  the  people  are  taught  to  fall 
down  and  worship  them.  Like  the  heathen,  they  have 
their  favorite  gods  and  goddesses,  such  as  Anthony,  Xavier, 
Mary,  and  Bridget.  They  pray  to  them,  they  trust  to  th(>m 
for  protection,  they  expect  to  reach  heaven  through  their 
intercession.  In  addition,  at  stated  times,  they  bring  out 
the  statue  of  some  saint,  and  boil  rice  before  it,  smoke  fur/e 
as  the  heathen  do  to  their  idols,  celebrate  mass,  and  perform 
comedies  and  tragedies  of  departed  saints,  the  tragedy  for 
Easter  being  a  blasphemous  representation  of  tlie  crucifixion 
of  Christ.  To  extend  such  a  religion,  priests  are  swarming 
into  the  country,  and  placing  themselves  down  wherever 


236  CHARACTEE    OF   PAPAL   MISSIONS. 

the  Gospel  is  preached,  and  especially  wherever  it  is  gain- 
ing success  ;  and  they  abstain  from  the  use  of  no  means  to 
carry  their  end,  which  can  take  efi'ect  on  an  ignorant  mind. 
—  Jour,  of  Hiss.,  Sept.,  1851. 

A  CRAZY  PROTESTANT. 

Rev.  Mr.  Clarke,  stationed  at  Arabkir,  states  that  an 
Armenian  priest,  at  a  village  a  little  distant,  having  been 
suspected  of  turning  Protestant,  Avas  severely  threatened 
by  the  bishop  (a  Catholic)  if  he  persisted  in  that  way. 
But  the  priest  not  only  continued  to  read  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  religious  tracts,  hut  jj reached  the  Protestant  fiaith 
to  his  people.  On  coming  into  the  city  one  day,  to  call  on 
Mr.  Clarke,  he  was  seized  and  carried  before  the  bishop, 
who  closely  questioned  him  as  to  the  reasons  of  his  conduct. 
The  priest  said,  "I  must  preach  to  my  people  what  the 
Gospel  contains."  —  "You  shall  not  preach  the  Gospel," 
said  the  bishop  ;  "I  forbid  you."  —  "1  must  preach  it,"  an- 
swered the  priest.  The  bishop,  full  of  wrath,  struck  him 
on  one  side  of  his  face.  The  priest  turned  the  other  side  to 
the  bishop,  and  he  struck  that  also,  and  proceeded  to  beat 
him  with  a  stick,  and  caused  him  to  be  put  in  chains.  The 
next  day  he  was  brought  before  the  bishop,  and  forbidden  to 
preach  the  Gospel.  The  priest  drew  from  his  bosom  a  Tes- 
tament, and  was  proceeding  to  pi'ove  that  he  was  acting 
in  accordance  with  its  spirit,  when  the  bishop  seized  the 
Testament,  and  beat  him  with  it,  saying,  "  Will  you  dare 
thus  to  teach  me  ?  "  and  he  beat  him  also  with  a  large  stick. 
The  persecuted  priest  found  means  to  inform  the  missionary 
of  his  condition,  and  that  he  wished  to  declare  himself  a 
Protestant.  Accordingly  measures  were  taken  for  his  pro- 
tection, though  all  the  priests  in  the  city,  ten  in  number, 
came  forward  and  testified  that  he  was  crazy!  And  the 
reasons  assigned  for  this  were,  1st,  that  he  preached  the 
Gospel ;  2d,  that  he  did  not  require  his  people  to  observe 
the  ceremonies  of  the  church,  such  as  praying  to  the  Virgin, 
kissing  the  pictures  of  the  saints,  &c.  ;  3d,  that  he  confessed 
to  the  people  that  he  had  often  deceived  them,  and  taken 
their  money  from  them  wrongfully,  and  would  do  so  no 
more.  "Are  you  not  crazy,"  said  they,  "when  you  will 
not  take  money  ?  "  After  the  priest  had  returned  to  his 
own  village,  tlie  bishop  sent  anotlier  i)riest  and  a  rich  Arme- 
nian to  persuade  him  to  return  to  the  old  church.  The 
command  of  the  bishop  was,  "As  much   money  as  is  ne- 


FRANCIS    XAVIER'S    BIBLE.  237 

cossary,  g-ive  ;  "  and  they  offered  him  two  tliousand  piastres. 
The  faithful  priest  replied,  "  If  you  will  believe  and  em- 
brace the  Gospel  with  all  the  heart,  I  will  beg-  two  thousand 
piastres  for  you."  The  bishop  was  terribly  enraged  at  the 
loss  of  this  priest  (crazy  as  he  was!),  and  in  his  wrath  he 
said,  "  If  any  man  will  kill  that  priest  I  will  pardon  his  sin." 
—  Jour,  of  Miss.,  May,  1854. 

HOW  PAPISTS   EDUCATE. 

Says  a  missionary  at  Madura,  "  In  America,  and  in  some 
parts  of  Europe,  when  Papists  are  charg-ed  with  educating 
only  so  far  as  they  are  compelled  by  surrounding  intelli- 
gence, and  with  openly  promoting  ignoiance  where  they 
can,  they  loudly  complain  that  they  are  slandered.  But 
how  is  it  in  India?  Here  they  have  had  a  large  population 
under  their  control  for  centuries  ;  and  in  what  are  they 
different  from  the  heathen  ?  They  are  indeed  less  afraid  of 
the  Bible,  and  sometimes  refuse  to  give  it  up  to  be  burnt. 
They  have  a  vague  impression  that  it  is  in  some  way  con- 
nected with  the  Christian  religion  ;  but  no  thanks  to  the 
priests  for  this.  The  Papists  are  the  same  lying,  cheating, 
sensual,  degraded  people  as  the  heathen  ;  and  with  all  this 
the  priests  seem  to  be  content ;  but,  if  a  boy  wishes  for  an 
education,  they  are  at  once  ai'oused  to  wrath."  Such,  in 
regard  to  education  and  morals,  are  the  results  of  papal  mis- 
sions, so  much  applauded  by  Catholics,  and  by  many  Protest- 
ants who  ought  to  be  better  informed.  —  Iliss.  Her.,  1845, 
p.  379. 

CATHOLIC  ARGUMENT. 

A  missionary,  in  making  a  tour  through  Xew  Mexico, 
observed,  hanging  on  the  wall  at  To  Zuke,  a  cruel  whip, 
having  the  appearance  of  much  use  ;  and,  on  inquiry,  he 
found  that  it  was  kept  for  the  purpose  of  flogging  those 
who  refused  or  neglected  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross.  — 
Jour,  of  Miss.,  Jan.,  1851. 

FRANCIS  XAVIER'S  BIBLE. 

When  the  great  emperor,  Agbad,  invited  men  of  all  relig- 
ions to  come  to  him,  Xavier,  the  celebrated  Catholic  mis- 
sionary to  the  East,  came  with  the  rest  to  tell  him  what 
Christianity  is.  The  emperor's  mind  was  open  for  the 
reception  of  the  truth  ;  he  was  dissatisfied  with  Mohamme- 
danism. But  Xavier,  instead  of  giving  him  the  truth  as  it 
is,  manufactured  a  New  Testament  for  him,  filling  it  with 


238  CIIAEACTER   OF   PAPAL   MISSIONS. 

all  manner  of  legends  out  of  the  Persian  records.  The  em- 
peror read  it,  and,  with  the  simplicity  of  heart  and  honest 
sagacity  which  really  belonged  to  him,  returned  it  to  the 
Jesuit,  saying,  "If  this  be  your  shaster,  I  have  got  enough 
of  such  legends  already,  without  coming  to  you  to  get  more." 
• — Journal  of  Hiss.,  December,  1851. 

JESUIT    OPPOSITION. 

A  missionary  at  Madura,  says,  "  We  meet  with  opposi- 
tion from  the  French  Jesuits.  They  still  manifest  all  the 
spirit  of  persecuting  Rome,  and  all  that  is  wanting  is  civil 
power  to  carry  it  out.  Some  time  ago,  the  priest  assem- 
bled his  people  at  Silliquireputty,  where  we  have  a  small 
village  congregaticm,  and  made  them  promise  not  to  give 
to  our  people,  water,  fire,  wood,  or  any  of  the  necessaries 
of  life.  This  shows  what  they  would  do,  had  they  the 
power."  — JJfm.  Her.,  1849,  p.  199. 

ISrO   TKANSLATIOIfS. 

It  is  three  hundred  years  since  Rome  entered  on  the 
work  of  missions  ;  within  this  period  she  has  made  con- 
verts among  people  speaking  sixty  or  seventy  different 
languages  ;  but  not  a  single  instance  is  known  other  having 
translated  the  Scriptures  into  the  language  of  the  people 
where  she  has  her  missions.  —  Jour,  of  Miss.,  July,  1851. 

CATHOLIC  "WEAPONS. 

Mobs,  threats,  and  brick-bats,  have  constituted  leading 
arguments  among  the  missionaries  of  the  Romish  church. 
So  it  was  at  Madras.  In  1841,  Mr.  Winslow  established 
at  Royapooram,  a  station  of  the  Madras  mission,  an  evening 
meeting,  in  a  bungalow,  on  the  premises  of  a  respectable 
native  merchant ;  and  upon  this  a  persecution  arose,  in 
describing  which,  Mr.  Winslow  says  :  "  The  Romanists  im- 
mediately began  to  annoy  us,  and  to  send  letters  threaten- 
ing our  lives.  They  threw  stones,  both  in  times  of  meeting 
and  at  other  times,  at  the  family  ;  set  up  a  noisy  meeting  in 
the  adjoining  house  ;  and  disturbed  us  by  offensive-smelling 
lights  and  fireworks,  as  well  as  by  the  noise  of  bells  and 
other  instruments  ;  and,  when  this  was  stopped  by  the 
authorities,  they  burnt  the  bungalow,  with  the  furniture  it 
contained."  Such  was  the  mission  of  Rome's  hirelings  in 
that  place  !  But  the  native  merchant  remained  firm,  and 
the  persecution  entirf^ly  failed  of  its  object. 


CATHOLICS   AND    SCHOOLS.  239 

POPISH  MISSIONAKIES  AND  CASTES. 

Rev,  Mr.  Addis,  of  Coimbatoor,  Iliudostan,  speaks  of  the 
emissaries  of  Kome  as  presenting  a  worse  obstacle  to  the 
Gospel,  than  even  Mohammedanism,  or  heathenism  itself. 
He  says  :  "In  one  place  in  this  province,  the  Romish  bishop 
and  his  missionary  clergy  made  a  public  entry,  with  a  largo 
procession,  carrying  flags  and  crosses,  and  accompanied  by 
a  band  of  music,  torches,  fireworks,  &c.  Cloths  were 
spread  for  the  bishop  to  walk  upon,  and  he  is  all  but  wor- 
shipped by  his  adherents.  In  order  to  ingratiate  them- 
selves with  the  Brahmins  and  higher  classes,  these  priests 
keep  up  a  kind  of  caste  usage  lite  the  heathen.  This  is  likely 
to  give  them  great  acceptance  ;  and,  together  with  their 
shows,  &c.,  makes  a  great  impression,  not  merely  upon  the 
simple-minded,  but  also  upon  those  who  think  themselves 
far  above  the  vulgar."  —  3Iiss.  Mag.,  1849,  p.  41. 

KAGE  AGAIKST  THE  TfE"W  TESTAMENT. 

Mr.  Smith,  of  Ceylon,  speaks  of  being  surrounded  by  Ro- 
manists, who  are  so  much  under  the  control  of  their  priests, 
that  little  can  be  done  for  them  ;  and  he  relates  the  follow- 
ing instance  of  a  priest's  zeal  in  destroying  the  Scriptures. 
This  priest  was  called  to  perform  extreme  unction  for  a  per- 
son near  his  end.  When  he  entered  the  house,  he  saw  a 
New  Testament  on  the  shelf  in  the  room,  and  asked  what  it 
was.  On  being  told  that  it  was  a  New  Testament,  he  took 
it  down,  tore  it  in  pieces,  and  trampled  it  under  his  feet, 
before  performing  the  ceremony.  This  is  the  kind  of  Chris- 
tianity which  the  heathen  get  from  missionaries  of  the  papal 
church. — Miss.  Her.,  1851,  p.  44. 

BIB  LE-BUKNING. 

A  company  of  emeers  in  Mount  Lebanon,  spurred  on  by 
the  papal  priests,  gathered  and  burned  the  few  copies  of 
God's  word  which  had  been  given  and  sold  among  the  peo- 
ple. One  young  emeer  went  to  the  Greek  school,  and  vio- 
lently seized  all  the  psalters  he  could  find,  and  committed 
them  to  the  flames. — Miss.  Her.,  July,  1837. 

CATHOLICS  AND   SCHOOLS. 

The  hostility  of  Romanists  to  the  education  of  the  people 
is  more  apparent  in  heathen  than  in  Christian  lands.  In  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  says  a  missionary  journal,  "  the  priests 
are  doing  all  in  their  power  to  check  the  progress  of  knowl- 


240  CHARACTER    OF   PAPAL   MISSIONS. 

edge  and  of  truth  among  the  people.  They  have  taken  a 
bold  stand  against  the  school  laws,  which  require  that  all 
children  of  a  suitable  age  shall  attend  some  school,  and  that 
the  teachers  shall  be  graduates  of  the  seminary.  The  priests 
pay  no  regard  to  these  laws,  but  set  up  opposition  schools, 
and  appoint  teachers  from  their  own  pupils,  though  they 
have  nothing  to  teach,  but  a  few  pages  containing  the  outlines 
of  popish  mummeries."  —  Miss.  Her.,  1842,  p.  150. 

THE  JESUIT  AWD   THE  CUTTLE-FISH. 

Dr.  W.  II.  Harvey,  professor  of  botany  in  Trinity  College, 
Dublin,  in  a  letter  from  one  of  the  Friendly  Islands,  speaks 
of  the  Romish  priests  there  as  too  corrupt  to  gain  even  the 
confidence  of  the  natives.  Dr.  II.  says  :  "  In  one  of  the  con- 
troversies (between  native  converts  and  Catholics),  which 
were  more  numerous  formerly  than  now,  when  the  Jesuit 
had,  in- the  course  of  the  discussion,  shifted  his  ground  and 
changed  his  assertions  more  than  once,  the  native  contro- 
versialist, in  his  reply,  called  the  Jesuit  a  '  feke '  (cuttle- 
fish), because  he  changed  color.  This  tickled  the  fancy  of 
the  other  natives,  who  were  all  familiar  with  the  habits  of 
the  cuttle-fish,  which  formerly  was  one  of  their  gods.  So 
the  word  feke  has  become  the  common  synonyme  for  Jesuit ; 
and  they  illustrate  the  nickname  by  ludicrous  comparisons 
of  the  habits  of  both  animals,  the  cuttle-fish,  Avith  his 
many  grasping  arms,  sticks  fast  by  its  suckers  to  the  object 
it  attacks.  Its  large  mouth  and  sharp  jaws  are  hidden  under 
the  arms,  and  only  found  out  when  it  bites  and  devours. 
Its  great  staring  eyes  are  ever  looking  for  prey.  It  has  a 
habit  of  squeezing  its  body  into  narrow  holes,  where  it  sits, 
ready  to  pounce  on  a  passing  fish.  It  squirts  out  clear 
welter  as  it  swims  at  ease,  and  throws  dirt  all  around  it 
when  attacked,  and  then  scuttles  off  under  cover  of  the 
fouled  water.  It  lays  down  flat,  and  takes  the  color  of  the 
stone  it  lies  on,  when  it  is  cowed,  and  has  no  other  means 
of  escape.  Thus  they  chaffer  among  themselves,  as  they 
point  at  the  feke.  For  years  the  Jesuits  made  scarcely 
any  impression,  and  but  for  the  joint  influence  of  Frencli 
intimidation,  bribery,  the  allowance  of  a  relaxed  morality, 
and  the  toleration  of  semi-heathenish  customs,  they  would 
have  been  left  with  scarcely  any  disciples."  —  Journal  of 
Miss.,  1856,  p.  2Y. 


POPISH    EMISSARIES   AT   FERNANDO    PO.  241 


THIRTY-TWO    POPISH   EMISSARIES  AT  FERNANDO  PO. 

The  English  Baptists,  United  Presbyterians,  and  others, 
have  a  mission  at  Fernando  Po,  West  Africa,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  from  Old  Calabar,  where  they  have 
been  quietl}"^  pursuing  their  work  for  several  years.  The 
place  belongs  to  Spain,  but  has  never  been  cared  for,  or  vis- 
ited by  any  of  her  religious  functionaries,  till  recently.  In 
May  last,  a  small  Spanish  schooner,  direct  from  Cadiz,  arrived 
with  no  less  than  thirty-two  Roman  Catholic  missionaries. 
The  band  consisted  of  five  priests,  nine  catechists,  eight  sis- 
ters of  charity,  and  ten  artisans  and  agriculturists.  They 
were  under  the  guidance  of  Don  Miguel  Martinez  y  Lauz, 
who  was  chaplain  to  the  Queen  of  Spain,  and  wore  the  star 
of  the  order.  Sa3^s  the  "Scotch  United  Presbyterian"  for 
August,  1856,  "  Clarence,  the  chief  town  of  Fernando  Po,  has 
become  a  place  of  some  importance,  since  the  increase  of  the 
palm-oil  trade  on  the  coast,  the  establishment  of  monthly 
steamers,  and  the  institution  of  missions  in  various  localities, 
as  most  of  the  ships  visit  the  harbor.  So  long  as  there  were 
no  missions,  no  regular  trade,  and  no  attempt  made  to  intro- 
duce civilization,  popish  Spain  left  these  islands  to  the  unin- 
terrupted influence  of  superstition  and  heathen  darkness. 
But  now  that  the  Bible  and  the  trading  ship,  the  missionary 
and  the  merchant,  have  begun  to  instruct  the  long  neglected 
natives,  and  to  develop  the  resources  of  these  important  re- 
gions, the  man  of  sin,  ever  watchful,  sends  his  confederated 
bands  to  arrest  or  to  mar  the  good  work,  and  to  cover  over 
the  dense  stratum  of  native  superstition  with  a  layer  of  glit- 
tering crosses.  It  is  said  that  the  Queen  of  Spain  has  devoted 
thirty  thousand  pounds  to  missions  for  the  Gulf  of  Guinea, 
and  that  these  thirty-two  missionaries  —  only  the  advanced 
brigade  —  are  to  be  followed  by  three  men  of  war,  the  senior 
officer  of  which  is  to  take  the  command  of  the  island."  This 
movement  of  the  Papists,  though  threatening  in  appearance, 
is  in  keeping  with  tlieir  whole  line  of  conduct,  and  does  not 
in  the  least  discourage  the  missionaries  of  the  cross. 
21 


THE   GOSPEL   A   BLESSING    PRESENT   AND 
TEMPORAL. 


"GOOD  "WILL  TO  MEW." 

That  the  Gospel,  in  its  spirit  and  fruits,  is  good  will  to 
men,  instead  of  wars  and  fightings,  is  strikingly  shown  in 
the  following  fact.  A  powerful  chief  in  New  Zealand,  who 
had  been  brought  under  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  being 
threatened  with  a  warlike  attack  from  a  neighboring  tribe, 
went  out  one  morning  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy's  camp  ; 
and,  while  he  lay  concealed  among  the  fern,  he  perceived 
the  principal  chief  of  the  enemy  coming  towards  him  for  a 
similar  purpose.  The  enemy  was  well  armed,  but  the  Chris- 
tian chief  had  no  weapon  ;  he  therefore  kept  his  place  of 
concealment  until  he  observed  his  enemy  sit  down  on  the 
shore  at  a  little  distance,  with  his  back  towards  him.  lie 
then  crept  from  his  hiding-place,  and,  unperceived,  sprung 
like  a  tiger  upon  the  back  of  his  adversary,  turned  him  over, 
wrested  his  weapon  from  his  hand  (a  double-barrelled  gun), 
and,  tying  his  hands,  made  him  march  before  him  to  his  own 
camp.  AVhen  tliey  had  nearly  reached  it,  he  ordered  his 
prisoner  to  stand.  He  did  so,  expecting  this  was  the  signal 
for  his  instant  death.  But  great  was  his  surprise,  when  the 
conqueror  unbound  his  arms  and  restored  his  weapons,  bid- 
ding him  to  bind  him,  and  drive  him  in  the  same  way,  as  a 
prisoner,  to  his  camp,  which  was  accordingly  done.  When 
they  entered  it,  the  people  set  up  a  shout  on  beholding  their 
chief  leading  in  so  important  a  prisoner  ;  and  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  he  could  restrain  tjjem  from  instantly  putting 
to  death  the  supposed  captive.  But  he  persuaded  them  to 
have  patience  till  he  could  tell  them  the  whole  story,  when 
they  might  put  him  to  death  if  they  wished.  Seating  his 
people  in  a  circle  around  him,  he  then  related  to  them  the 


A    BLESSED    FREEDOM.  243 

circumstances  of  his  own  capture  and  release  by  their  sup- 
posed enemy,  and  how  the  latter  had  ordered  himself  to  be 
thus  bound  and  driven  to  their  camp.  The  simple  and  aflect- 
ing  story  raised  a  g'eneral  shout  of  admiration  in  favor  of 
the  prisoner,  and  resulted  in  an  immediate  proclamation  of 
peace  between  the  two  chiefs  and  their  tribes. — Ghh.  3Iiss. 
Record,  1840,  p.  281. 

A  BLESSED    FREEDOM. 

The  missionaries  in  Jamaica,  since  the  emancipation,  fur- 
nish some  curious  and  instructive  specimens  of  freed  negro 
speeches.  On  one  occasion,  at  a  first  of  August  celebra- 
tion, in  connection  with  the  missionary  stations,  the  follow- 
ing address  was  made  by  the  senior  deacon  of  a  mission 
church,  —  "a  good  man,  in  whom  was  no  guile."  He  said  : 
"  1  have  very  few  words  to  tell,  —  you  see  this  ?  "  —  holding 
up  a  cat-of-nine-tails.  "  You  young  people  don't  know  this, 
but  plenty  of  my  old  brothers  and  sisters  they  know  it  well  ; 
they  know  that  time  when  you  hear  nothing  but  the  whip 
going  bam,  bam,  bam — slash,  slash,  slash,  from  morning 
to  night.  Plenty  before  me  now,  not  born  in  that  time. 
Plenty  to-day  buy  new  hat,  new  handkerchief — myself  buy 
one  new  surtout ;  but  let  me  ask  you,  if  this  day  no  been 
come,  would  you  able  to  buy  them  and  wear  them  ?  No  ! 
In  old  time,  if  you  have  a  Bible,  and  manager  see  it,  you 
know  what  you  will  catch  to-morrow — you  will  catch  this," 

—  pointing  to  the  cat.  "If  we  want  to  go  to  chapel,  at 
Souvenir,  what  did  we  have  to  do  ?  Many  times  me  put 
all  my  clean  clothes  in  a  small  bundle,  and  walk  to  chapel 
in  my  dirty  clothes.  In  case  manager  see  me,  he  see  my 
dirty  clothes,  he  think  I  am  going  to  work.  Then,  when 
we  get  near  chapel,  we  just  go  in  bush,  change  our  clothes, 
and  go  to  Mr.  Smith's  chapel.  When  chapel  done,  we  go 
back,  and  put  on  all  our  dirty  clothes  again,  for  fear  of 
massa.  Then  we  go  pretend  catch  fish  —  catch  crab  ;  but, 
0,  if  manager  see  we  go  to  chapel,  to-morrow  we  catch  this 
flogging.  One  3'oung  man  tell  me,  that  time  they  flog  us 
BO,  it  was  because  we  were  foolish.  Poor  fellow  !  he  can 
talk  so  now  there  is  no  flogging ;  but  stop  till  he  get  the 
whip,  and  the  driver  put  it  on  well,  he  will  no  call  we  fool- 
ish again.    Before  time  every  little  thing  was  stocks,  stocks 

—  driver,  driver ;  but  now  we  are  free;  and  who  is  the 
somebody  that  can  take  that  from  you  ?  No,  we  shall  never 
see  that  day  when  the  freedom  lost  again." 


244  THE  GOSPEL    A    BLESSING,   ETC. 

SPIRITUAL    -WEAPONS    MIGHTY. 

Tlio  island  of  Mare,  Western  Polynesia,  has  been  the 
snbject  of  remarkable  changes  within  a  few  years.  It  is 
divided  into  four  j^olitical  sections,  of  which  two,  Suacko 
and  Kuarna,  under  one  chief,  form  the  Christian  division. 
Seine,  the  old  chief,  was  not  friendly  to  Christianity,  but 
protected  the  missionaries  during  his  life.  After  his  death, 
his  three  sons  said,  "  Now  our  father  is  dead,  who  led  us 
astray,  let  us  cast  off  old  customs  and  evils,  and  turn  to 
the  word  of  God."  They  themselves  set  the  example  by 
dismissing  their  numerous  wives,  abandoning  all  heathen 
practices,  observing  the  Sabbath,  &c.  Their  example  was 
extensively  followed.  Some  time  after  these  occurrences, 
a  very  interesting  event  took  place.  The  heathen  party 
assembled  at  the  boundary  of  the  two  districts,  and  sent  a 
challenge  to  the  Christian  party  to  come  and  fight  with 
them.  One  of  the  brothers,  a  chief,  went  to  meet  them, 
and  said  to  them,  "  We  are  not  afraid  of  you  ;  we  are  not 
afraid  of  men,  but  we  are  afraid  of  God  ;  w^e  desire  the  word 
of  God,  and  will  not  fight."  He  denounced  war  and  heathen 
practices,  and  commended  to  them  the  word  of  God  and  the 
religion  it  teaches,  exhorting  them  to  cast  off  the  one  and 
embrace  the  other.  The  hostile  party  were  so  far  overcome 
b}^  this  mode  of  warfare,  that  they  returned  quietly  to  their 
own  homes,  and  there  was  no  fighting.  Some  of  the  heathen 
party  tried  to  provoke  the  other  by  calling  them  cowards, 
but  the  Christians  were  steadfast  in  their  love  of  peace,  and 
so  the  matter  ended.  —  London  Miss.  3Iag.,  1853,  p.  181. 

THE   INDIAlSr    AND    THE   SABBATH. 

A  Dakota  Indian,  not  himself  a  member  of  the  church, 
but  very  intelligent  and  friendl3^  and  the  first  of  that  nation 
who  learnt  to  Yead,  while  speaking  to  the  missionar3%  Dr. 
Williamson, of  the  faults  of  some  of  the  communicants,  gave 
in  the  following  testimony,  as  related  by  Dr.  \V.  Alluding 
to  the  use  of  whiskey,  and  especially  the  violations  of  the 
Sabbath,  he  said  :  "  I  am  astonished  that  they  should  do  so  ; 
they  cannot  prosper.  Why  do  you  not  cast  them  out  of 
the  church  ?  I  am  a  bad  man,  and  do  not  belong  to  the 
church,  but  I  have  suffered  so  much  from  whiskey  and 
working  on  the  Sabbath,  that  I  am  determined  to  have  noth- 
ing more  to  do  with  whiskey,  and  to  neither  move  nor  hunt 
on  the  holy  day.  Last  fall,  when  going  out  for  the  winter 
hunt,  I  touk  with  me  whiskey  to  get  horses,  and  the  Great 


THE   ■WHALE-SHIP   AND    THE    CANNIBALS.  245 

Spirit  was  angry  with  mo,  and  my  wife  became  diseased  in 
one  of  her  ankles.  She  was  unwell  all  winter ;  and  now, 
at  the  end  of  eight  moons,  is  only  beginning  to  walk. 
The  winter  we  went  to  Crooked  River,  though  we  had  corn, 
we  were  in  haste  to  get  venison,  and  travelled  on  the  Sab- 
bath in  going  there  ;  and,  consequent!}'-,  starved  all  winter. 
There  were  deer,  but  we  could  not  shoot  them.  Beavers 
and  otters  were  plenty  in  the  river,  and  I  knew  how  to  trap 
as  well  as  any  man,  but  1  could  not  catch  them.  Since  that 
time  I  was  travelling  one  Sabbath,  and  my  cart  (he  was  the 
only  Indian  in  the  place  who  had  a  cart)  turned  over,  and 
my  guns  were  both  broken.  At  another  time  I  went  out  to 
hunt  on  the  Sabbath,  and  my  gun  burst,  tearing  my  hand. 
I  determined  I  would  do  so  no  more,  and  I  have  rested 
when  the  bufialoes  were  thick  all  about  my  tent.  But  liei'e, 
lately,  when  I  was  resting  on  the  Sabbath,  and  had  deter- 
mined not  to  hunt,  though  the  buffaloes  were  in  sight, 
Giiciye  came,  chasing  a  fat  cow  close  by,  and,  before  I 
thought,  1  called  for  my  gun,  and,  as  I  raised  it,  before  1 
got  it  to  my  eye,  it  went  off,  I  know  not  how,  and  instead 
of  killing  the  cow,  the  bullet  passed  through  the  foot  of  my 
friend,  wounding  also  the  horse  he  rode.  I  have  spent 
much  time  and  medicine  in  attending  on  him,  and  yet  they 
threaten  to  kill  me."  Such  was  the  testimony  of  one  of  the 
best  minds  among  the  Dakotas,  as  to  the  unprofitableness 
of  working  or  journeying  on  the  Sabbath. — Miss.  He)'., 
1845,  p.  167. 

THE  ■WHALE-SHIP  AND  THE   CANNIBALS. 

A  New  England  whale-ship  foundered  in  a  gale,  some 
years  ago,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Her  crew  took  to  the 
boats  ;  and,  after  toiling  for  several  days  and  nights,  two 
of  the  boats  came  in  sight  of  an  island.  One  of  them  was 
run  through  the  surf,  and  the  crew  jumped  on  shore,  making 
signs  to  the  natives  to  oxpi'css  their  destitute  condition. 
But  no  pity  dwelt  in  those  savage  breasts.  Rushing  upon 
the  exhausted  seamen  with  their  clubs,  they  instantly  killed 
them,  and  made  preparations  to  feast  upon  their  bodies,  for 
they  were  cannibals.  Seeing  the  fate  of  their  companions, 
the  other  boat's  crew  pulled  hastily  away  from  that  dreadful 
spot ;  and,  after  almost  incredible  sufierings,  were  picked 
up  by  a  friendly  vessel  and  saved. 

Some  years  passed,  and  another  ship  was  wrecked  in  the 
same  seas,  and  near  the  same  island.  Her  commander  had 
21* 


246  THE    GOSPEL    A   BLESSING,   ETC. 

been  second  mate  of  the  former  ship,  and  was  saved  with 
the  boat's  crew  which  witnessed  the  destruction  of  their 
shipmates  by  the  cannibals.  Again  he  approached  the 
ishuid,  a  wrecked  mariner,  and  reduced  by  hunger  and 
exhaustion  to  a  feeble  and  emaciated  state.  He  recognized 
the  fatal  shore,  and  told  his  companions  of  the  cannibals 
who  dwelt  beyond  it.  But  they  were  too  weak  to  put  out 
to  sea  again.  To  do  so  was  to  die.  They  could  but  die  if 
they  landed  ;  and,  perhaps,  the  savages  might  be  merciful. 
Perceiving  none  of  the  natives,  they  hauled  their  boat  up  on 
the  beach,  and  sought  the  shelter  of  the  adjoining  woods, 
in  the  hope  of  finding  fruits  or  berries  for  subsistence.  But, 
once  in  the  woods,  their  fears  increased.  They  moved 
stealthily  along,  alarmed  at  the  cracking  of  the  diy  bushes 
beneath  their  feet,  and  at  the  rustling  of  the  leaves.  Death 
seemed  to  speak  in  every  sound,  and  to  leer  upon  them 
through  every  opening  glade  of  the  forest.  Cold  sweats 
gathered  on  their  sunburnt  brows  ;  and  more  than  once 
they  halted,  and  consulted  on  the  propriety  of  returning  to 
the  boat ;  but  as  often  they  resolved  to  advance,  especially 
as  they  found  themselves  ascending  a  wooded  hill,  which 
they  hoped  might  furnish  them  with  a  nook  or  cave  in  which 
to  hide.  Thus  trembling  they  proceeded.  They  approached 
the  summit  of  the  hill,  which  was  bold  and  rocky.  The 
foremost  of  the  party  ventured  from  the  shelter  of  the  trees 
to  view  the  island.  Cautiously  he  stole,  step  by  step,  to 
the  mountain's  brow,  until  his  eye  caught  sight  of  the 
village  below.  Then,  he  literally  sprang  into  the  air, 
clapped  his  hands,  and  shouted,  'Safe!  Safe  I  SAFE!'  — 
'  What  is  the  matter? '  asked  his  companions,  who  thought 
him  crazy.  'We  are  s^afe,  I  tell  you  toe  are  mfe!'  pointing 
to  the  village  on  the  plain  below.  Looking  down,  the  now 
joyful  seamen  beheld  a  church,  lifting  its  modest  front  above 
the  huts  of  the  natives.  Then  they  shared  in  the  transports 
of  their  companion.  Thoy  leaped,  they  wept,  they 
embraced.  They  knew  by  that  church  that  the  missionary 
was  there.  The}'  knew  that  where  he  lived  and  labored  can- 
nibalism must  be  dead.  They  accorditigly  descended  to 
the  plain,  and  found,  instead  of  a  cruel  death,  the  utmost 
kindness,  perfect  security,  and  a  generous  hospitality." 
Had  those  wrecked  mariners  been  sceptics  or  infidels,  would 
they  have  needed  any  further  proof  of  the  humanizing  and 
renovating  power  of  tlie  Gospel,  or  of  the  utility  of  mis- 
sions ? —  Fres.  For.  Miss.,  1853,  p.  197. 


THE   POOR   MAN   AND    HIS   TREE.  247 

BLESS    THEM    THAT   CURSE. 

la  1852,  the  niissioiiaiy  station  occupied  by  Dr.  Living- 
ton,  South  Africa,  among  the  Bechuanas,  was  completely- 
pillaged,  and  many  lives  destroyed,  by  the  Dutch  Boers, 
who  had  emigrated  into  that  country.  A  short  time  after 
this  event,  a  company  of  the  Boers  called  at  an  out-station 
of  the  mission,  on  the  Kolong  river,  and,  in  conversation 
with  the  native  Christians,  declared  their  approval  of  the 
outrages  committed  upon  the  mission.  A  native  asked,  on 
what  authority  they,  the  Boers,  dared  to  kill  and  plunder 
tribes,  who  were,  with  respect  to  them,  guiltless  before  God 
and  man  ?  Another  native  took  up  the  subject,  and  addressed 
the  Boers  thus:  "  Are  you  not  afraid  to  pass  through  our 
country  ?  The  people,  who  have  been  killed  by  your  rela- 
tions in  the  interior,  arc  our  friends.  We  ai'e  of  one  nation. 
Are  you  not  afraid  to  come  among  us  after  what  has  taken 
place  ?  You  have  to  be  thankful  to  the  word  of  God  that 
you  are  alive  this  day.  We  have  received  the  doctrine  of 
God,  and,  but  for  the  fear  of  God,  but  for  the  number  of 
believers  in  this  place,  you  would  have  been  dead  men 
where  you  now  stand.  We  should  have  put  you  into  our 
hands  and  consumed  you.  We  thank  God  that  we  have 
been  taught  to  love  and  pity  all  men."  This  testimony, 
the  missionary,  Dr.  Moffat,  says,  is  true.  The  Boers  were 
allowed  to  depart  in  peace  ;  but  were  obliged  to  go  back 
the  way  they  came,  as  the  chief  would  not  allow  them  to 
pass  through  his  territories.  What  could  more  forcibly 
illustrate  the  spirit  and  fruits  of  the  Gospel  ?  — Miss.  Mag., 
1853,  p.  63. 

THE    POOR    MAN"   AND  HIS    TREE. 

A  circumstance  occurred  at  Huahine,  one  of  the  Society 
Islands,  so  analogous  to  the  poor  man  and  his  ewe  lamb, 
and  so  illustrative  of  the  benefits  of  Christianity  among  a 
heathen  people,  that  it  is  worth  recording.  In  the  autumn 
of  1822,  the  Queen  of  Tahiti  visited  Huahine  with  her 
attendants.  The  latter,  wishing  for  some  timber,  were 
directed  by  the  queen  to  cut  down  a  bread-fruit  tree,  which 
grew  in  the  garden  of  a  poor  man.  This  poor  man,  on 
learning  his  loss,  went  to  a  magistrate  and  lodged  a  com- 
plaint against  the  queen.  The  case  was  promptly  attended 
to,  and  the  next  morning  the  magistrate  was  seen  sitting  in 
the  open  air,  beneath  the  branches  of  a  tree,  and  before  him, 
on  a  finely  woven  mat,  sat  the  queen  and  her  attendants. 


248  THE   GOSPEL    A   BLESSING,    ETC. 

Near  tlie  queen  stood  Teuhe,  the  poor  man,  and  around 
them  all  the  police  officers.  Turning  to  Teuhe,  the  magis- 
trate inquired  for  what  purpose  they  were  convened.  The 
poor  man  said  that  in  his  garden  grew  a  bread-fruit  tree, 
whose  shade  was  grateful  to  the  inmates  of  his  cottage,  and 
whose  fruit  contributed  nearly  half  the  year  to  the  support 
of  his  family  ;  that  yesterday  it  was  cut  down,  as  he  was 
informed,  by  order  of  the  queen.  He  knew  that  they  had 
laws,  and  he  had  thought  they  protected  the  poor  man's 
property  as  well  as  that  of  the  kings  and  chiefs  ;  and  he 
wished  to  know  whether  it  was  right  that  the  tree  should 
have  been  cut  down  without  his  consent.  The  magistrate 
turned  to  the  queen,  and  asked  if  she  had  directed  the  tree 
to  be  cut  down.  She  answered,  "  Yes."  He  then  asked 
her  if  she  did  not  know  that  they  had  laws.  She  said.  Yes  ; 
but  she  did  not  know  as  they  applied  to  her.  The  magis- 
trate asked  her  if  there  were  any  exceptions  in  favor  of 
chiefs,  or  kings,  or  queens.  She  said.  No,  and  immediately 
despatched  one  of  her  attendants  for  a  bag  of  money,  which 
she  threw  down  before  the  poor  man  as  a  recompense  for 
his  loss.  "  Stop,"  said  the  justice,  "  we  have  not  done 
yet."  The  queen  began  to  weep.  "  Do  you  think  it  was 
right,"  continued  the  magistrate,  "  to  cut  down  the  tree 
without  asking  the  owner's  permission  ?  "  —  "No,  it  was 
not  right,"  said  the  queen.  Then,  turning  to  the  poor 
man,  he  asked,  "  What  remuneration  do  you  require  ? " 
Teuhe  answered,  "  If  the  queen  is  convinced  that  it  was 
not  right  to  take  a  little  man's  tree  without  his  permission, 
I  am  sure  she  will  not  do  it  again.  I  am  satisfied,  I  require 
no  other  recompense."  His  disinterestedness  was  applauded. 
The  assembly  dispersed  ;  and,  afterwards,  the  queen  sent 
him  privately  a  present  equal  to  the  value  of  the  tree.  — 
South  Sea  Missions,  p.  232. 

CHRISTIAlSriTY    AND    GOVERNMENT. 

The  people  of  Tahiti,  having  received  Christianity,  and 
being  about  to  form  a  government,  met  in  assembly,  and 
sent  a  message  to  the  queen,  to  know  upon  what  principles 
they  were  to  proceed.  She  sent  back  a  copy  of  the  New 
Testament,  saying,  "  Let  the  principles  of  this  book  be  the 
foundation  of  all  your  proceedings." 


HOUSE    OF   WORSHIP   IN   TAHITI.  249 

A  SAILOR'S   OPIIsriON  OP  MISSIONS. 

Said  Rev.  Mr.  McLeod,  at  a  meeting  of  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society:  "Having  read,  iu  the  account  of  some 
voyage,  things  to  the  discredit  of  missions,  I  shortly  after 
met  with  the  captain  of  a  ship  that  voyaged  to  the  South 
Seas,  and  I  asked  him,  '  Do  3'ou  think  that  missions  have 
done  much  good  in  the  South  Seas  ?  '  lie  looked  at  me, 
and  said,  '  I  do  not  know  what  you  know  about  missions, 
but  I  will  tell  you  a  fact.  Last  year  I  was  wrecked  on  one 
of  tliose  islands,  and  I  knew  that  eiglit  years  before  an 
American  whaler  had  been  shipwrecked  on  the  same  island; 
that  the  crew  had  been  murdered  ;  and  no  doubt  you  may 
judge  of  my  feelings,  when  we  anticipated  that  we  should 
either  be  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  during  the  night, 
or,  if  we  survived  till  morning,  subjected  to  a  dreadful 
death.  As  soon  as  the  day  broke,  I  saw  a  number  of 
canoes,  manned,  pulling  away  between  the  island  and  the 
ship.  We  prepared  for  the  worst  consequences.  Judge  of 
our  amazement  when  the  natives  came  on  board  in  a  Euro- 
pean dress,  and  spoke  to  us  in  English  !  In  that  very  island 
I  heard  the  Gospel  on  the  Sabbath-day,  and  sat  down  at  the 
communion-table,  and  sang  the  same  psalm  that  I  had  sung 
in  Scotland.'  He  added,  '  I  do  not  know  what  j'ou  think 
of  missions,  but  I  know  what  I  think  of  them.'  "  —  Jour,  of 
Miss.,  Sept.,  1854. 

HOUSE   OP  WORSHIP  IN"  TAHITI. 

One  of  the  largest  houses  of  worship  ever  built  for  Chris- 
tian worship  was  erected  by  King  Pomare,  of  Tahiti,  after 
his  conversion  to  Christianity.  It  was  seven  hundred  and 
twelve  feet  long,  by  fifty-four  wide.  The  roof  was  sup- 
ported by  thirty-six  massive  pillars  of  the  bread-fruit  tree  ; 
and  the  sides  by  two  hundred  and  eighty  smaller  ones.  The 
walls  were  composed  of  boards  fixed  perpendicularly  in 
square  sleepers,  and  were  either  smoothed  with  a  plane,  or 
polished  by  rubbing  with  coral  and  sand.  The  buiUling  con- 
tained one  hundred  and  thirty-three  windows,  and  twenty- 
nine  doors.  The  floor  was  covered  with  long  grass,  and 
the  area  was  filled  with  plain,  but  substantial  benches.  The 
rafters  were  bound  with  braided  cord,  colored  in  native 
dyes,  or  covered  with  white  matting,  the  ends  of  which  hung 
down  several  feet,  and  terminated  in  a  broad  fringe.  The 
chapel  contained  three  pulpits,  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
apart,  but  without  any  partition  between.    It  was  called  the 


250  THE   GOSPEL    A   BLESSING,  ETC. 

Royal  Mission  Chapel,  and  was  first  opened  in  May,  1819. 
A  sermon  was  preached  in  each  pulpit,  at  the  same  time, 
to  an  audience  each  of  more  than  two  thousand  hearers. 
When  Pomare  was  asked  why  he  built  so  large  a  house,  he 
inquired,  "Whether  Solomon  was  not  a  good  king,  and 
whether  he  did  not  build  a  house  for  Jehovah,  superior 
to  every  edifice  in  Judea,  or  in  the  surrounding  countries." 

—  South  Sea  Mission,  p.  170. 

HOW  TO  KETURN  A  BLOW. 

Mr.  Marsh,  of  Mosul,  relates  of  an  Armenian,  named 
John,  that,  when  living  at  Constantinople,  he  was  hired,  by 
persecuting  Armenians,  to  strike  a  watchmaker.  Tiie  lat- 
ter, upon  receiving  the  blow,  nobly  prayed,  "  3Iay  God 
bless  you."  This  remarkable  answer  was  efiectual  ;  for, 
said  John,  in  allusion  to  the  affair,  "  I  could  not  strike 
again,  and  at  night  I  said  to  the  money,  '  Instead  of  my 
eating  you,  jon  will  eat  me.'  "  John  soon  gave  occasion 
for  friends  and  foes  to  say  of  him,  "  Behold,  he  prayoth  !  " 
Thus  was  the  power  of  a  soft  answer  strikingly  illustrated. 

—  3Iiss.  Her.,  1850,  p.  269. 

ANTI-HUMAISr    SACRIFICE    SOCIETY. 

The  frightful  extent  to  which  human  sacrifices  had  been 
carried,  in  West  Africa,  so  roused  the  attention  of  mission- 
aries, and  other  white  residents,  that,  in  1850,  after  many 
preliminary  meetings,  and  much  discussion,  in  which  African 
head  men  took  an  active  part,  a  society  was  formed  for  the 
suppi'ession  of  this  horrid  practice,  and  called  the  "  Anti- 
Human  Sacrifice  Society."  The  law  was  duly  proclaimed 
at  Old  Calabar,  Creek  Town,  and  other  important  places. 
The  news  of  tliis  most  important  affair  soon  spread  among 
the  people,  causing  great  joy.  The  king,  Archibong,  and 
his  chiefs,  have  proved,  in  general,  sincere  friends  to  the 
new  law  ;  and  late  accounts  show  that,  with  comparativel}'- 
few  exceptions,  human  sacrifices  have  ceased,  and  the 
frightful  flow  of  blood  from  this  cause  has  been  stayed.  It 
is  one  of  the  greatest  triumphs  the  Gospel  has  aciiieved  iu 
Africa. — United  Pres.  Bee,  1850,  p.  107. 

SOMETHING  TO  DO  WITH  THE  LAW  OF  GOD. 

Some  Europeans  in  New  Zealand  had  engaged  natives  to 
accompany  them  on  a  journey,  and  carry  their  luggage. 
The  Sabbath   overtook  them  on  the  road  ;  the  Europeans 


THEY  SHALL   LEARN   WAR   NO   MORE.  251 

wished  to  proceed  ;  but  the  natives  said,  "  No,  it  is  Sab- 
bath, we  must  rest."  The  travellers  went  forward  without 
their  native  attendants,  and  refused  to  pay  them  when  they 
bad  accomplished  the  journey  with  the  luggage,  because 
they  would  not  travel  on  the  Sabbath.  The  natives  in- 
quired, "  What  are  we  to  do  with  the  law  of  God  ?  "  and 
received  for  answer,  "  What  have  we  to  do  with  the  law  of 
God  ?  what  is  that  to  us  ?  "  One  of  the  natives  retorted, 
by  saying,  "  You  have  much  to  do  with  that  law.  Were  it 
not  for  the  law  of  God,  we  should  not  have  exercised  the 
forbearance  we  have,  on  your  refusal  to  give  us  paj'ment. 
We  should  have  robbed  j'ou,  and  taken  all  you  possessed, 
and  sent  you  about  your  business.  You  have  that  much  to 
do  with  the  law  of  God."  —  Juvenile  Missionary  Magazine, 
1847,  p.  128. 

THEY  SHALL  LEAKN"  "WAR  NO   MORE. 

In  Samoa,  one  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  where  the  labors 
of  missionaries  have  been  eminently  successful,  a  native 
convert,  at  a  public  meeting,  spoke  as  follows:  "Happy 
are  we  of  this  generation ;  formerly,  we  used  to  lie  down  at 
night  with  trembling  hearts,  saying,  '  Perhaps  I  shall  be 
surprised  before  the  morning  by  the  club  of  the  enemy.' 
Now,  we  lie  down  without  fear,  and  sleep  in  peace." 
Another  said,  "  How  delightful  are  our  meetings  together 
now  !  Formerly,  when  we  met,  our  hearts  were  full  of  envy, 
strife,  and  anger,  and  we  concerted  measures  for  war  and 
plunder  ;  now,  we  meet  in  love  and  peace,  as  one  family, 
and  worship  the  true  God."  A  third  remarked,  "  What  a 
delightful  feeling  is  this  compassion  which  now  fills  our 
hearts  !  Formerly,  there  was  no  compassion  among  us  but 
that  of  the  mouth  ;  we  uttered  compassion  with  our  mouth, 
while  our  hearts  were  full  of  hatred  and  murder  ;  but  now 
we  know  what  true  compassion  is,  and  the  great  happiness 
which  springs  from  it."  Words  like  these  from  Samoans, 
whose  words  agreed  with  their  deeds,  beautifully  illustrate 
and  verify  many  of  the  glowing  predictions  of  inspired 
truth. 

The  missionary.  Rev.  Mr.  Murray,  adds  as  follows : 
""  Among  the  many  happy  results  which  have  flowed  from 
the  introduction  of  the  Gospel  to  these  islands,  none  is  more 
remarkable  than  the  complete  abandonment  of  war  in  all  the 
islands,  except  a  few  small  ones  to  the  windward,  where  no 
European  missionary  has  yet  been.     Before  the  commence- 


252  THE   GOSPEL    A    BLESSING,    ETC. 

ment  of  missionary  operations,  the  islands  were  in  a  state 
of  perpetual  hostility.  Even  so  late  as  1830,  there  was  a 
dreadlul  war  in  Upolu,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  numbers 
of  men  and  women,  and  even  children,  were  thrown  alive 
into  immense  fires,  and  consumed,  in  order  to  satiate  the 
rage  of  their  enemies.  Noiv,  the  weapons  of  war,  and 
instruments  of  death  are  seen  stuck  into  the  roof  of  their 
lowly  huts,  covered  with  dust,  and  going  to  decay  ;  or  they 
are  converted  into  implements  of  industry,  or  disposed  of 
to  visitors  as  articles  no  longer  to  be  desired."  Such  are 
the  fulfilments  of  the  divine  prediction,  that,  under  the 
reign  of  the  Messiah,  men  shall  learn  war  no  more.  —  Lond. 
Mias.  Mag.,  1840,  p.  102. 

MISSIO]SrARIES    BETWEEN"   HOSTILE   ARMIES. 

Rev.  William  Yate,  Church  missionary  in  New  Zealand, 
relates  the  following  fact,  which  occurred  in  that  island  : 
"The  shedding  of  the  blood  of  one  tribe  by  another  was 
always  considered  an  imperative  appeal  for  vengeance  ; 
and,  under  such  circumstances,  two  thousand  New  Zealand 
warriors,  on  either  side,  were  assembled  in  battle-array. 
They  were  all  well  armed,  within  musket-shot  of  each  other, 
and  so  equally  matched  that  a  general  slaughter  must  have 
been  the  result  of  a  contest.  The  chiefs  saw  tliis  inevitable 
consequence,  and  some  were  desirous  of  making  peace  ; 
but  ancient  custom  forbade  their  doing  so,  until  vengeance 
had  been  taken  for  the  injury  inflicted.  They  at  length  sent 
for  the  missionaries,  who,  they  said,  had  been  'for  fifteen 
years  talking  about  peace,'  to  see  what  they  would  do. 
The  missionaries  obeyed  the  summons,  and,  as  mediators, 
pitched  their  tents  between  the  hostile  parties!  At  first  they 
could  accomplish  nothing,  on  account  of  divisions  in  the 
councils  of  the  chiefs.  At  last  they  induced  them  to  com- 
mit the  decision  of  the  question  —  for  peace  or  war — to 
one  individual.  They  did  so,  and  selected  a  '  chief  of  great 
importance,  but  a  dreadful  savage.'  To  him  the  mission- 
aries now  addressed  themselves.  The}''  set  before  him  the 
consequences  of  the  Avar,  even  if  victory  crowned  it,  and 
pointed  out  to  him  the  evil  of  it  in  the  sight  of  God.  In 
the  result,  ho  decided  for  peace  ;  and  these  tribes  have 
been  ever  since  the  firmest  friends  and  allies  of  any  in  the 
country." 


INFLUENCE    OP    A    RELIGION    OF   MERCY.  253 

DK.  PHILIP'S    TESTIMONY. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  early  planted  missions  in 
Africa,  among  the  CaflVes,  Griquas,  Bnshmen,  Bechnanas, 
and  Namaquas,  and  of  these  missions,  in  1828,  Rev.  Dr. 
Philip  declares  : 

"  While  the  missionaries  have  been  employed  in  locating- 
the  savages  among  whom  they  labor,  teaching  them  indns- 
trious  habits,  creating  a  demand  for  British  manufactures, 
and  increasing  their  dependence  on  the  colony,  there  is  not 
a  single  instance  of  a  tribe,  thus  enjoying  the  labors  of  a 
missionary,  making  war  against  the  colonists,  either  to  in- 
jure their  persons  or  deprive  them  of  their  property.  While 
the  Caftres,  who  command  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
of  our  frontier,  have  only  been  the  scourge  and  terror  of  the 
colony  of  the  Cape,  those  who  have  enjoyed  the  labors  of 
missionaries  are,  without  a  single  exception,  friendly  to  its 
security  and  interests."  —  Rev.  B.  W.  Noel's  Christian 
Missions,  p.  279. 

IM-FLUENCE   OF  A  KELIGION  OF  MEECY. 

The  beauty  and  eflScacy  of  Christianity,  as  a  religion  of 
mercy,  is  finely  illustrated  in  the  following  incidents.  After 
the  conversion  of  Pomare,  king  of  Tahiti,  he  was  visited  by 
Tamatoa,  king  of  Raiatea,  one  of  the  Society  Islands,  on 
matters  of  business.  So  much  was  he  impressed  with  the 
conversation  of  Pomare  and  the  missionaries,  that,  on  return- 
ing to  his  own  island,  he  renounced  idolatry,  and  requested 
teachers  and  books  for  himself  and  people.  But  the  idola- 
trous chiefs  and  people  resorted  to  arms  in  defence,  of  their 
gods.  They  determined  to  put  all  tlie  Christians  to  death, 
and  for  this  purpose  they  erected  a  house,  and  enclosed  it 
with  the  trunks  of  cocoanut  and  bread-fruit  trees,  intending 
to  thrust  the  Christians  into  it,  and  burn  them  alive.  Tama- 
toa sent  frequent  overtures  of  peace,  but  the  invariable 
reply  was,  "There  is  no  peace  for  god-burners,  till  they 
have  felt  the  efiects  of  the  fire  which  destroyed  Oro,"  — 
alluding  to  the  fact  that  Tamatoa  had  destroyed  the  idols, 
Oro  being  the  chief.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  day  fixed 
upon  for  the  accomplishment  of  their  design,  the  heathen 
party,  with  flying  banners,  the  shout  of  the  warriors,  and 
the  sound  of  the  trumpet-shell,  bore  down  in  an  imposing 
attitude  upon  the  aftVighted  Christians  ;  while  tliey,  on  their 
bended   knees,  were   supplicating  the   protection   of  God 


254  THE   GOSrEL   A   BLESSING,  ETC. 

against  the  fuiy  of  their  enemies,  whose  numbers,  frightful 
preparations,  and  superstitious  madness,  rendered  them 
peculiarly  formidable.  While  the  idolaters  were  landing, 
the  Christians  rushed  to  the  shore,  and  extended  their  little 
army  as  i'ar  as  it  could  reach.  This  bold  and  unexpected 
movement  filled  the  assailants  with  consternation.  After  a 
short  resistance,  they  threw  away  their  arms,  and  fled  for 
their  lives,  expecting  to  meet  with  the  same  barbarous 
ti'eatment  which  they  would  have  inflicted,  had  they  been 
the  conquerors.  Perceiving,  however,  that  those  who  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Christians  sustained  no  injury, 
they  voluntarily  came  forward  and  threw  themselves  on  the 
mercy  of  the  victors.  As  the  prisoners  were  conducted  into 
the  presence  of  the  chief,  a  herald,  who  stood  by  his  side, 
shouted,  "Welcome!  welcome!  you  are  saved  by  Jesus, 
and  the  influence  of  the  religion  of  mercy  which  we  have 
embraced  !  "  When  the  chief  who  had  led  the  heathen 
party  was  conducted,  pale  and  trembling,  into  the  presence 
of  Tamatoa,  he  exclaimed,  "Am  I  dead  '(  "  Ilis  fears  were 
soon  dispelled  by  the  reply,  "No,  brother;  cease  to  trem- 
ble, you  are  saved  by  Jesus."  Not  content  with  sparing 
the  lives  of  the  prisoners,  the  Christians  soon  prepared  a 
feast  for  them,  consisting  of  a  hundred  baked  pigs,  and  a 
large  quantity  of  bread-fruit.  But  so  overcome  were  the 
prisoners  by  the  kindness  with  which  they  wei'e  treated, 
that  but  few  of  them  were  able  to  partake  of  food.  While 
they  were  at  the  table,  one  of  them  rose  and  declared  his 
determination  never  again  to  worship  the  gods  who  could 
not  protect  them  in  the  hour  of  danger.  He  said,  "  We  were 
four  times  the  number  of  the  praj'ing  people,  yet  they  have 
conquered  us  with  the  greatest  ease.  Jehovah  is  the  true 
God.  Had  we  conquered  them,  they  would  have  been  burn- 
ing in  the  house  we  made  strong  for  the  purpose.  But, 
instead  of  injuring  us,  or  our  wives  or  children,  they  have 
prepared  for  us  this  sumptuous  feast.  Theirs  is  a  religion 
of  mercy.  I  will  go  and  unite  myself  to  this  pef)ple."  A 
similar  feeling  pervaded  the  whole  company.  They  united 
in  thanking  God  for  the  victory  he  had  given  the  Christians. 
On  the  following  morning  the  Christians  and  heathens  joined 
their  eflbrts  in  demolishing  the  gods  ;  and,  three  days  aiter 
the  battle,  every  vestige  of  idolatry  was  destroyed.  —  South 
Sea  Missions,  p.  202. 


WORSHIP   AND    ARMS. 


CHKISTIANITY  AND    SLAVERY. 


255 


Eev.  Mr.  Ellis,  missionary  in  Tahiti,  being  asked  by  the 
aborigines'  committee,  "  Have  they  any  slaves  there  ? " 
replied,  "No,  not  since  Christianity  has  been  introduced; 
formerly,  captives  taken  in  war  were  made  slaves."  — 
"  Then  Christianity,  among-  other  good  eftects,"  it  was 
asked  again,  "has  led  to  the  abolition  of  slavery  among 
them?"  to  which  Mr.  Ellis  emphatically  answered,  "They 
never  considered  the  two  things  compatible." 

To  the  above  may  be  added  another  fact,  both  found  in 
D.  J.  East's  "  Western  Africa,"  pp.  251,  253.  _"  The  Wes- 
leyan  missionaries  among  the  Little  Namaquas,  in  Southern 
Africa,  drew  up  some  'general  laws  and  regulations,'  for 
the  government  of  a  Christian  community  of  natives,  which, 
they  had  been  instrumental  in  gathering.  Mr.  Beecham,  m 
the  course  of  his  evidence  before  the  aborigines'  commit- 
tee, referring  to  these  laws,  says  :  '  I  discover  evidence  of 
the  care  which  has  been  taken  to  guard  against  the  intro- 
duction of  slavery,  the  laws  having  been  drawn  up  while 
slaver-ij  was  in  existence.  It  was  enacted,  "  That,  to  prevent 
anything  like  slavery  being  carried  on  in  this  place,  every 
new-year's  day,  all  who  are,  or  may  be  taken  as  servants, 
shall'  be  assembled  together,  and  be  free  to  serve  their  old 
masters,  or  hire  themselves  to  others,  if  they  please,  under 
a  proper  contract."  Here,  then,  in  the  very  face  of  slavery, 
laws  are  enacted  for  its  suppression,  and  the  most  effectual 
means  are  taken  to  secure  the  people  in  after  years  from  its 
galling  yoke.'  " 

"WORSHIP  AND   ARMS. 

On  one  occasion,  King  Pomare,  of  Tahiti,  was  suddenly 
surprised  by  a  party  of  idolatrous  enemies,  who  had  deter- 
mined to  cut  off  him  and  his  Christian  associates  at  a  blow. 
It  was  the  Sabbath,  and  they  were  assembled  for  worship. 
As  the  enemy  approached,  a  cry  was  heard  in  the  house,  "  It 
is  war  !  "  this  produced  a  sudden  panic.  Pomare,  how- 
ever, commanded  silence,  and  ordered  the  services  to  pro- 
ceed, saying  that  their  trust  was  in  Jehovah.  A  hymn  was 
sung,  and  a  prayer  offered.  Happily  they  had  remembered 
the  warnings  given  them  by  the  missionaries,  to  beware  of 
treachery,  and  had  brought  their  arms  ivith  them.  The  foe 
arrived,  and  the  friends  of  Christianity  fought  for  their  dear- 
est interests  ;  and  when  they  were  prevented  by  the  nature 


256  THE   GOSPEL    A    BLESSING,    ETC. 

of  the  ground  from  coming-  into  immediate  action,  tliey 
kneeled  down  among  the  trees  and  bushes,  and  supplicated 
divine  aid.  They  were  victorious.  The  leader  of  the  enemy 
was  soon  slain,  and  his  party  routed.  Fomiire  forbade  a  pur- 
suit, and  commanded  the  dead  to  be  decentl}^  buried,  and 
the  women  and  children  to  be  kindly  used.  These  lenient 
proceedings  had  the  happiest  effect,  for  the  idolaters  rightly 
attributed  them  to  the  new  religion,  which  they  said  must 
be  good.  They  immediately  sent  in  their  submission  to 
Pomare,  and  requested  teachers.  —  Hiss.  Her.,  1825,  p. 
294. 

SONS    OF    THE    WORD  — A   SUEPKISE. 

While  Rev.  John  Williams  was  laboring  in  the  South 
Seas,  he  took  occasion  to  call  at  Tutnlia,  one  of  the  Society 
Islands,  whei'e  a  most  interesting  occurrence  took  place. 
It  is  thus  related  by  Mr.  W.  in  his  "  Missionary  Enterprises 
in  South  Seas,"  p.  318.  He  says  :  "  On  entering  the  mouth 
of  the  spacious  and  beautiful  bay,  we  were  boarded  by  a 
person  who  introduced  himself  as  a  '  son  of  the  woixl.'  We 
gave  him  a  hearty  welcome,  and  learned,  in  reply  to  our  in- 
quiries, that  in  this  district  about  fifty  persons  had  embraced 
Christianity,  had  erected  a  place  of  worship,  and  Avere  anx- 
iously waiting  my  arrival.  I  determined  immediately  to 
visit  the  spot,  and  with  this  intent  we  lowered  our  little 
boat  and  approached  the  shore.  When  about  twenty  yards 
from  the  beach,  as  the  heathen  presented  rather  a  formida- 
ble appearance,  I  desired  the  native  crew  to  cease  rowing, 
and  unite  with  me  in  prayer,  which  was  our  usual  practice 
when  exposed  to  danger.  The  chief,  who  stood  in  the 
centre  of  the  assembled  multitude,  supposing  that  we  were 
afraid  to  land,  made  the  people  sit  down  under  the  grove 
of  bread-fruit,  cocoanut,  and  other  trees  which  girt  the 
shore.  The  chief  then  waded  into  the  water  nearly  up  to 
his  neck,  and  took  hold  of  the  boat,  when,  addressing  me 
in  his  native  tongue,  he  said,  '  Son,  will  you  not  come  on 
shore  ?  Will  you  not  laud  amongst  us  ? '  To  this  I  replied, 
'I  do  not  know  that  I  shall  trust  myself;  I  have  heard  a  sad 
account  of  you  in  this  bay,  that  you  have  taken  two  boats, 
and  that  you  arc  exceedingly  savage  ;  and  perhaps,  when 
you  get  me  into  your  possession,  you  will  either  injure  my 
person,  or  demand  a  ransom  for  my  release.'  —  '  0,'  he  ex- 
claimed, 'we  are  not  savage  now;  we  are  Christians.'  — 
'  You  Christians  ! '  I  said  ;  '  where  did  j'^ou  hear  of  Chris- 


SONS    OF   THE   WORD  —  A   SURPRISE.  257 

tianity?' — '0/  he  replied,  'a  great  chief  from  the  white 
man's  country,  named  Williams,  came  to  Savaii  (a  neigh- 
boring island)  about  twenty  moons  ago,  and  placed  some 
tama  fai-lotu  (workers  of  religion)  there,  and  several  of  our 
people  who  were  there  began,  on  their  return,  to  instruct 
their  friends,  many  of  whom  have  become  sons  of  the  word. 
There  they  are  ;  don't  you  see  them  ? '  Looking  in  the 
direction  to  which  he  pointed,  I  saw  a  group  of  about  fifty 
persons,  seated  under  the  wide-spreading  branches  of  large 
tou  and  other  trees,  apart  from  those  whom  he  had  ordered 
to  sit  down  along  the  beach.  Every  one  of  this  group  had 
a  piece  of  white  native  cloth  tied  around  his  arm.  I  in- 
quired of  the  chief  what  this  meant ;  when  he  replied, 
'  They  are  the  Christians,  and  that  cloth  is  to  distinguish 
them  from  their  heathen  countrymen.'  —  'Why,'  1  immedi- 
ately exclaimed,  '  I  am  the  person  3='ou  allude  to  ;  my  name 
is  Williams.  I  took  the  workers  of  religion  to  Savaii  about 
twenty  moons  ago.'  The  moment  he  heard  this,  he  made 
a  signal  to  the  multitude,  who  sprang  from  their  seats, 
rushed  to  the  sea,  seized  the  boat,  and  carried  both  it  and 
us  to  the  shore.  Upon  landing,  Amoamo,  the  chief,  took 
me  by  the  hand,  and  conducted  me  to  the  Christians  ;  and, 
after  the  usual  salutations,  I  inquired  where  they  had  heard 
of  Christianity.  Upon  this,  one  of  their  number  replied, 
that  he  had  been  down  to  the  workers  of  religion  (to  the 
island  of  Savaii),  had  brought  back  some  knowledge,  and 
was  now  engaged  in  imparting  it  to  his  countrymen.  '  And 
there  is  our  chapel,'  said  he,  '  don't  you  see  it  ? '  Turning 
to  the  direction  in  which  he  pointed,  I  saw  a  small  rustic 
place  of  worship,  which  woidd  hold  about  eighty  or  a  hun- 
dred people,  peeping  through  the  foliage  of  the  bananas  and 
bread-fruit  trees,  in  which  it  was  embowered.  Accompanied 
by  this  man  and  two  or  three  others,  I  asked  him,  on  reach- 
ing the  chapel,  who  performed  service  there  on  the  Sabbath. 
To  this  he  replied,  '  I  do.'  — '  And  who,'  I  inquired,  'has 
taught  you?'  —  'Why,'  said  he,  'did  you  not  see  a  little 
canoe  by  the  side  of  your  boat,  when  we  carried  you  on 
shore  just  now  ?  That  is  my  canoe,  in  which  I  go  down  to 
the  teachers,  get  some  religion,  which  I  bring  carefully  home, 
and  give  to  the  people  ;  and,  when  that  is  gone,  1  take  my 
canoe  again,  and  fetch  some  more.  And  now  you  are  come, 
for  whom  we  have  been  so  long  waiting  ! '  Such  eagerness 
and  unwearied  painstaking,  to  acquire  and  disseminate  the 
word  of  life,  by  a  people  who  had  not  received  a  missionary, 
22* 


258  THE   GOSPEL    A   BLESSING,   ETC. 

is  quite  surprising-,  and  illustrates  the  sovereignty  of  God, 
in  sometimes  working  in  advance  and  independent  of 
his  servants." 

"WHAT  THE  MISSIONAKIES  DO. 

A  New  Zealand  chief  remarked,  "  What  are  the  mission- 
aries come  to  dwell  with  us  for  ?  They  are  come  to  break 
our  clubs,  and  establish  peace  here.  They  are  come  to 
break  in  two  our  clubs,  to  blunt  the  points  of  our  spears, 
to  draw  the  bullets  from  our  muskets,  and  to  make  this 
tribe  and  that  tribe,  this  tribe  and  that  tribe,  love  one 
another,  and  sit  as  brothers  and  friends.  Let  us  give  our 
hearts  to  listening,  and  we  shall  dwell  in  peace."  A'good 
idea  of  the  effects  which  the  Gospel  actually  produces. 

PROTECTION  TO  LIFE  AND  PBOPEE.TY. 

The  following  important  testimony  is  given  to  the  influ- 
ence of  missions  in  extending  commerce,  and  in  affording 
protection  to  the  lives  and  property  of  mariners.  The  ex- 
tract is  from  the  excellent  work  of  Rev.  Baptist  W.  Noel 
on  Christian  Missions,  p.  288.  He  says:  "  English  ves- 
sels are  traversing  every  sea,  and  stress  of  weather  and  other 
causes  make  it  necessary  that  they  should  touch  on  even 
the  most  unfriendly  coasts.  In  various  instances  this  has 
proved  fatal  to  them.  The  crew  of  the  Boyd  was  killed 
and  devoured  on  the  coast  of  New  Zealand.  The  crew  of 
the  Charles  Eaton  was  killed  and  devoured  in  Torres 
Straits.  When  the  Alceste  was  wrecked  in  the  Straits  of 
Gaspar,  it  was  plundered  and  burnt  by  the  Malays,  who 
assembled  also  in  numbers  to  attack  Captain  Maxwell  and 
his  crew.  In  1824  it  was  the  intervention  of  a  Methodist 
missionary  alone  which  saved  the  passengers  and  crew  of 
the  Endeavor  schooner,  in  Wangaroa  Bay,  New  Zealand. 
And  on  that  coast,  in  18.35,  the  whaling  brig  Mercnry  was 
plundered,  stripped  of  its  sails  and  rigging,  and  left  to  drift 
upon  the  rocks.  But  the  difference  in  those  islands  which 
have  come  under  missionary  influence  is  thus  described  by 
Mr.  Williams  :  '  From  the  period  when  the  adventurous 
Magellan,  the  discoverer  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  was  massa- 
cred, intercourse  with  the  uncivilized  tribes  has  been  at- 
tended with  the  most  tragical  consequences.  Of  this  the 
most  affecting  proof  is  found  in  the  fate  of  many  former 
navigators,  as  well  as  in  the  distressing  circumstances  con- 
nected with  Captain  Frazer  of  the  Stirling  Castle,  Captain 


PROTECTION   TO   LIFE   AND   PROPERTY.  259 

D'Oylcy  of  the  Charles  Eaton,  the  Corsair,  the  Oldham,  and 
many  other  ships  ;  but  no  British  ship  has  ever  been  taken, 
nor  one  drop  of  British  blood  shed,  at  any  island  after  its 
inhabitants  have  become  Christians.  From  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  sail  of  shipping  touch  annually  at  one 
or  other  of  our  mission  stations,  anchor  with  perfect  secur- 
ity, procure  fresh  beef  at  two  pence  per  pound,  and  othei 
provisions  equallj^  cheap  to  refit  as  in  the  ports  of  our  own 
country.  In  case  of  shipwreck,  our  toil-worn  countrjnnen, 
instead  of  being  barbarously  murdered,  are  treated  with  the 
greatest  hospitality,  and  the  property  all  saved.  Upwards 
of  twenty  sail  of  shipping  touched  last  year  at  one  of  the 
islands  discovered  a  few  years  ago  by  your  petitioner.  One 
of  these  ships  was  wrecked,  but  the  crew  was,  by  the  gra- 
tuitous exertions  of  the  converted  natives,  rescued  from  the 
grave,  the  stores  and  cargo  were  all  preserved,  and  when 
the  captain  brought  the  preserved  cargo  away,  after  hav- 
ing expressed  his  gratitude  to  the  missionaries  for  what 
they  had  done,  assured  them  he  had  not  lost  a  single  vail! 
This  is  the  eighth  or  tenth  vessel  that  has  been  wrecked  at 
one  or  other  of  the  missionary  stations,  and  in  every  in- 
stance the  crews  and  property  of  our  countrymen  have  been 
preserved.'  " 

Having  quoted  these  remarks  of  the  celebrated  London 
missionary,  John  Williams,  Mr.  Noel  proceeds:  "It  is 
further  obvious  that  when  a  vessel  touches  on  any  coast  to 
obtain  provisions  or  other  commodities,  its  trade  with  the 
natives  is  directly  advantageous  to  this  countr}'.  In  New 
Zealand,  the  provisions,  spars,  and  flax,  taken  by  English 
and  American  trading  vessels,  ai'e  bought  by  English  goods, 
by  muskets  and  powder,  by  blankets  and  English  cloths, 
by  cutlery  and  all  sorts  of  iron  ware.  Where  ports  are  in- 
accessible, there  is  no  trade  ;  where  the  nations  are  heathen, 
the  trade  is  insignificant,  because  there  is  little  which  the 
natives  wish  to  buy,  and  less  which  they  can  sell ;  but,  when 
they  become  Christians,  they  iiubibe  new  tastes,  contract 
the  wants  of  civilized  life,  and  raise  such  commodities  as 
may  form  an  export  trade  to  supply  them.  In  this  manner 
about  a  Imndred  thousand  converted  natives  in  the  South 
Pacific,  at  the  lowest  computation,  have  already  procured 
and  are  wearing  articles  of  British  manufacture.  And  the 
same  eflects  have  been  shown  to  follow  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  among  the  Hottentots  of  the  Cape,  and  among  all 


260  THE    GOSPEL   A   BLESSING,   ETC. 

the  tribes  of  tlie  frontier  to  whom  the  Gospel  has  been  car- 
ried." 

After  speaking  of  the  effects  of  Christian  missions  on  trade 
and  commerce  in  India  and  the  Chinese  empire,  Mr.  Noel 
adds:  "On  these  accounts,  a  just  consideration  of  the 
future  interests  of  the  British  empire  ought  to  lead  commer- 
cial men,  capitalists,  and  legislators,  to  encourage  Christian 
missionaries  to  the  utmost.  This  was  so  distinctly  seen  by 
the  Common  Council  of  London,  acting  as  a  commercial 
bod}^  that  they  voted  five  hundred  pounds  to  Mr.  WilHams 
towards  the  expenses  of  a  missionary  voyage  which  he  was 
about  to  make  among  the  unexplored  islands  of  the  South 
Pacific." 

A  NEW  ZEALAND   SCENE. 

Says  Rev.  Wm.  Yate,  in  his  "  New  Zealand,"  p.  191  :  "  A 
prospect  more  pleasing  cannot  meet  the  eye  of  the  philanthro- 
pist, than  the  sight  of  the  British  plough  breaking  up  the  des- 
erts of  New  Zealand,  and  the  youth  of  New  Zealand  them- 
selves the  drivers  of  that  plough,  and  the  conductors  of  the 
whole  business,  after  they  have  received  the  instructions  from 
their  teachers  and  friends.  The  introduction  of  ploughs  and 
harrows,  all  of  which  were  made  at  the  Waimate  (in  the  north 
of  New  Zealand),  constituted  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  coun- 
try. Till  these  implements  were  brought  into  use,  the  people 
little  knew  what  their  land  was  capable  of  producing.  Fur- 
ther, all  the  blacksmith  work  necessary  in  a  farming  estab- 
lishment, for  carts,  wagons,  drays,  ploughs,  harrows,  etc., 
was  done  here.  Three  wells,  upwards  of  fifty  feet  deep, 
have  been  dug  ;  a  dam  has  been  erected,  and  a  Tace  cut  for 
the  mill ;  all  the  bricks,  boards,  and  timber,  used  in  the  sta- 
tion, have  been  carted  from  the  places  where  they  were 
respectively  made  and  sawn  ;  all  the  stores,  household  fur- 
niture, coals,  etc.,  brought  in  from  the  Kerikeri,  a  distance 
of  ten  miles  ;  and  numerous  other  works  have  been  com- 
pleted or  are  now  in  hand.  The  whole  of  this  has  been 
accomplished  l\y  about  forty  youths,  who  never  before  were 
accustomed  to  labor,  and  amidst  all  the  difficulties  attendant 
on  efforts  made  in  an  uncivilized  land." 

MISSIONS  AND  COMMEKCE. 
The  immense  benefits  which  missions  have  rendered  to 
commerce  have  been  too  little  understood  and  appreciated, 
partly  because  the  facts  are  contained  in  journals  little  ac- 


MISSIONS    AND    COMMERCE,  261 

cessiblc  to  the  trailing  public,  and  especially  because  of  a 
general  indifference  to  the  subject.  The  following  facts  arc 
worthy  of  note.  They  are  from  "  Williams's  Missionary  En- 
terprises in  the  South  Sea  Islands/'  p.  515,  and  onwards.  As 
showing  what  missions  have  done  in  those  Islands,  to  open 
channels  of  commerce  and  trade,  he  mentions  the  following 
as  among  the  arts  and  productions  which  have  followed  in 
the  channels  of  Christianity.  They  are  smith's  work, 
house-building,  ship-building,  lime-burning,  turning,  chair, 
sofa,  and  bedstead  making,  growth  and  manufacture  of 
tobacco,  sugar-boiling,  printing,  etc.  ;  also,  vegetable  pro- 
ductions, as  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  pine-apples,  coffee, 
cotton,  indigo  ;  and  to  these  are  added  various  kinds  of 
animals  and  fowls,  which  are  now  common  in  tlie  island. 
Mr.  Williams  speaks  of  some  twenty  native  vessels  which 
were  sailing  from  island  to  island,  fetching  cargoes  of  pearl 
and  pearl  shells,  and  exchanging  them  with  English  and 
American  vessels  for  clothing  and  other  articles.  The  fact 
is  mentioned  (and  it  is  a  vital  one)  that  the  missionaries 
were  at  Tahiti  many  years,  during  which  they  built  and  fur- 
nished a  house  in  European  style,  but  not  a  native  imitated 
their  example.  As  soon,  however,  as  they  were  brought 
under  (he  influence  of  Christianity,  the  chiefs,  and  even  the 
connnon  people,  began  to  build  neat  plastered  cottages, 
and  to  manufacture  bedsteads,  seats,  and  other  articles  of 
furniture.  The  females  had  long  witnessed  the  dress  of  the 
missionaries'  wives,  but  lohile  heathen  they  greatly  preferred 
their  own,  and  there  was  not  a  single  attempt  at  imita- 
tion. No  sooner,  however,  were  they  brought  under  the 
influence  of  religion,  than  all  of  them,  even  to  the  lowest, 
aspired  to  the  possession  of  a  gown,  a  bonnet,  and  a  shawl, 
that  they  might  appear  like  Christian  women.  In  the  South 
Sea  Islands  alone,  many  thousands  of  persons  are  at  this 
moment  wearing  and  using  articles  of  European  manufac- 
ture, by  whom,  a  few  years  ago,  no  such  article  had  been 
seen.  Indeed,  in  the  more  advanced  stations,  there  is 
scarcely  an  individual  who  is  not  attired  in  English  cloth- 
ing, which  has  been  obtained  in  exchange  for  native  prod- 
uce. *  *  In  a  very  few  years,  should  our  labors  be  suc- 
cessful, the  natives  of  these  islands  will  be  taught  to  pre- 
pare hundreds  of  tons  of  cocoanut  oil,  and  large  quantities 
of  arrow-root,  annually  ;  to  manufacture  sugar,  to  cultivate 
their  land,  and  to  supply  our  shipping  with  provisions 
Thus,  wherever  the  missionary  goes,  new  channels  are  cut 


262  THE   GOSPEL   A   BLESSING,   ETC. 

for  the  stream  of  commerce,  and  it  is  surprising  that  any 
individual,  at  all  interested  in  the  commercial  prosperity  of 
his  country,  can  be  otherwise  than  a  warm  friend  to  the  mis- 
sionary cause. 

"  The  shipping  of  our  country,  too,  derives  as  much  advan- 
tage from  missions  as  its  commerce.  This  will  appear  if  it 
be  recollected  that  the  intercourse  between  Europeans  and 
the  untaught  islanders  of  the  Pacific  is  always  dangerous, 
and  has  often  proved  fatal.  The  adventurous  Magellan  fell 
at  the  Ladrone  Islands  ;  Captain  Cook  was  barbarously  mur- 
dered at  the  Sandwich  group  ;  the  ship  Venus  was  taken  at 
Tahiti  ;  M.  de  Langle  and  his  companions  were  killed  at  the 
Samoas  ;  the  Port  au  Prince  was  seized  at  Lefuga  ;  and  the 
crew  of  the  Boyd  was  massacred  at  New  Zealand.  And 
now  at  all  these  islands,  with  the  exception  of  the  Ladrones, 
there  are  missionary  stations,  whither  numbers  of  vessels 
direct  their  course  annually,  the  crews  of  which  look  forward 
with  delight  to  the  hour  Avhen  their  anchor  shall  be  dropped 
in  the  tranquil  lagoons,  and  they  find  a  generous  welcome 
and  a  temporary  home.  That  outrages  do  still  occur  where 
there  are  no  missionaries,  Captain  Beechy's  account  of  his 
intercourse  with  the  inhabitants  of  Easter  and  Gambler  Isl- 
ands, and  the  massacre  of  the  entire  crew  of  the  Oldham  at 
Wallace's  Island,  with  other  similar  events  of  more  recent 
occurrence  plainly  demonstrate,  whilst  the  fact  that,  in  those 
islands  or  ports  where  missionaries  are  settled,  such  acts  of 
violence  have  been  prevented,  is  established  by  evidence 
equally  decisive." 

Little  did  the  author  of  the  above  statement  —  Eev.  John 
Williams  —  apprehend,  when  penning  his  facts,  that  he 
should  himself  furnish  an  illustration  of  the  insecurity  of  life 
in  places  where  the  Gospel  has  not  exerted  its  humanizing 
influences.  He  fell,  by  the  hand  of  savage  violence,  in  the 
island  of  Eromanga,  one  of  the  New  Hebrides'  group." 

THE  "WRECKED  SAILORS  AND  THE  CANNIBALS. 

The  following  occurrence,  of  recent  date,  beautifully  illus- 
trates the  kindly  influences  of  Christianity,  in  providing  a 
safe  asylum  for  the  distressed  mariner.  The  ship  "  Lad}'- 
Howden"  sailed  from  California  for  Sidney,  on  the  *7th  of 
April,  1850,  and  on  the  22d  of  May  was  wrecked  on  a  coral 
reef  near  Onega,  one  of  the  Feegee  Islands.  The  men  took 
to  their  boats,  and  pulled  towards  the  shore,  a  distance  of 
seven  miles.     After  getting  so  near  as  to  see  the  land,  they 


THEY  SHALL  LEARN  WAR  NO  MORE.       263 

lay  for  a  while  on  their  oars,  discussing  whether  to  steer  for 
the  Isle  of  Pines,  nine  hundred  miles  distant,  or  to  go  ashore 
and  stand  the  chance  of  being  devoured  by  cannibals.  The 
latter  course  was  adopted.  "  We  hoisted  our  ensign,"  says 
Mr.  Plumpter,  one  of  the  passengers,  "  and  gave  it  a  cheer, 
upon  which  the  natives  launched  a  canoe,  and  came  off,  giv- 
ing us  a  hearty  shake  hands.  We  were  astonished.  The 
natives  soon  got  hold  of  the  boats  and  drew  them  ashore. 
We  were  met  by  several  natives,  who  conducted  us  to  a  hut, 
where  an  ample  supper  of  yams  and  cocoaniit  cakes  was 
provided.  Before  retiring,  they  had  prayers  in  their  native 
language,  and,  as  they  sang  their  evening  hymn,  I  felt  a 
calm  devotion,  to  which,  I  regret  to  say,  I  had  long  been  a 
stranger.  I  need  not  say  that  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to 
find,  that,  instead  of  being  among  cannibals,  I  was  among 
devout  Wesleyan  Methodists,  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth  by  the  Wesleyan  missionaries.  What  gratitude  I 
felt  for  those  brave  soldiers  of  the  cross,  who  came  into 
these  distant  lands  to  teach  the  will  of  God  to  these  be- 
nighted people  !  "  —  Am.  Miss.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  13. 

THEY  SHALL  LEARN  "WAE,  NO  MORE. 

The  peace  that  shall  reign  on  the  earth  when  the  religion 
of  the  Gospel  becomes  universal,  is  beautifully  shown  in  the 
change  wrought  in  the  South  Sea  Islands,  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  Chi'istianity.  The  love  of  peace,  said  the  mission- 
aries in  1822,  among  the  natives,  seems  to  exceed  their 
former  delight  in  war  ;  and  their  desires  to  perpetuate  it 
are  continually  strengthened.  Their  feelings  in  regard  to 
it  are  expressed  in  terms  like  the  following  :  "  Let  our  hands 
forget  how  to  lift  the  club  or  throw  the  spear.  Let  our 
guns  decay  with  rust,  we  do  not  want  them.  Though  we 
have  been  pierced  with  balls  or  spears,  if  we  pierce  each 
other  now,  let  it  be  with  the  word  of  God.  How  happy  are 
we  now  !  We  sleep  not  with  our  cartridges  under  our  lieads, 
our  muskets  by  our  side,  and  our  hearts  palpitating  with 
alarm.  We  have  the  Bible,  we  know  the  Saviour ;  and  if 
all  knew  him,  if  all  obeyed  him,  there  would  be  no  more 
war."  Their  weapons,  at  the  period  referred  to,  were 
either  destroyed,  or  converted  into  implements  of  hus- 
bandry ;  or,  if  suffered  to  retain  their  former  shape,  it  was 
only  as  a  relic  of  former  days.  —  SouiJi  Sea  Missions,  p.  234. 


2G4  THE    GOSPEL    A    BLESSING,    ETC. 

DB.    KANE'S    TESTIMONY. 

The  lamented  Dr.  Kane,  in  his  "  Arctic  Explorations,"  bears 
the  following-  testimony  to  the  influence  of  missionary  labors 
in  th(jse  frozen  and  unfrequented  regions.     He  says  : 

"The  labors  of  the  Lutheran  and  Moravian  missionaries 
have  been  so  far  successful  among  these  people,  that  but 
few  of  them  are  now  without  the  pale  of  Christiauit}'^,  and 
its  reforming  influences  have  affected  the  moral  tone  of  all. 
Before  the  arrival  of  these  sell-sacrificing  evangelists,  mur- 
der, incest,  burial  of  the  living,  and  infanticide,  were  not 
numbered  among  crimes.  It  was  unsafe  for  vessels  to  touch 
upon  tlie  coast ;  treachery  was  as  common  and  as  much 
honored  as  by  the  Polynesians  of  the  Eastern  seas.  Crantz 
tells  of  a  Dutch  brig  that  was  seized  by  the  natives,  at  the 
port  of  Disco,  in  17-40,  and  the  whole  crew  murdered  ;  and, 
two  years  later,  the  same  fate  befell  the  seamen  of  another 
vessel  that  had  accidentally  stranded.  But  for  the  last 
hundred  years  Greenland  has  been  safer  for  the  wrecked 
mariner  than  many  parts  of  our  coast.  Ilospitalit}^  is  the 
universal  characteristic,  enjoined  upon  the  converted  as  a 
Ciiristian  duty,  but  everywhere  a  virtue  of  savage  life. 
J^'rom  Upernavik  to  Cape  Farewell,  the  Esquimaux  does  not 
hesitate  to  devote  his  own  meal  to  the  necessities  of  a 
guest.  The  benefits  of  the  missionary  school  are  not  con- 
tined  to  the  Christianized  natives  ;  and  it  is  observable  that 
the  virtues  of  truth,  self-reliance,  and  generous  bearing, 
have  been  inculcated  successfully  with  men  who  still  cher- 
ish the  wild  traditionary  superstitions  of  their  fathers. 
Some  of  these  are  persons  of  strongly-marked  character, 
and  are  trusted  largely  by  the  Danish  officials." 

G-EOGRAPHICAL   DISCOVERY. 

Distinguished  honor  has  been  awarded  to  Dr.  Livingston, 
for  the  geographical  and  scientific  discoveries  made  by  him 
during  his  missionary  tours  in  Africa.  The  testimonials 
below  were  offered  at  a  public  meeting  in  London,  and 
reported  in  the  "London  Missionary  Magazine,"  for  January, 
1857.  They  set  in  a  very  clear  light  the  relation  of  mis- 
sions to  science,  and  the  vast  obligations  the  world  is  under 
to  Christianity  and  its  missionaries,  for  its  advancement  in 
the  various  branches  of  knowledge. 

At  the  meeting  referred  to,  the  president,  the  Earl  of 
Shaftsbury,  read  a  letter  from  Thomas  Maclear,  Esq.,  the 
Astronomer  Koyal  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  which  he 


GEOGRAPHICAL   DISCOVERY.  265 

says :  "  You  may  like  to  hear  that  I  received  from  my 
friend,  Dr.  Living'ston,  a  complete  copy  of  his  astronomical 
observations  for  geographical  positions  on  the  late  track  of 
his  perilous  but  triumpliant  journey  across  the  continent, 
from  Loando  on  the  west  to  Quilimane  on  the  east  coast. 
To  this  highly  gifted  man,  geographical  science  is  deeply 
indebted.  The  numV)er  of  observations  is  astonishing,  when 
we  consider  the  difficulties  he  had  to  encounter.  He 
observed  for  latitude  and  longitude  at  every  interesting' 
point,  particularly  at  the  confluence  of  the  rivers  with  the 
Zambesi,  the  bendings,  the  falls,  the  more  important  villages, 
&c.  In  short,  he  has  opened  up,  geographically  speaking, 
that  hitherto  unkno\^'n  section  of  the  continent.  But  he  has 
done  more.  He  has  geographically  described  the  character 
of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants ;  and,  altogether,  his  col- 
lection of  facts  would  fill  a  volume  of  deep  interest  to 
science,  to  commerce,  and  last,  not  least,  to  humanity." 

At  the  same  meeting,  the  president  remarked,  "  Those 
great  researches  and  operations  of  his  (Dr.  Livingston), 
will  be  accompanied  and  followed  by  great  and  mighty 
benefits  to  the  whole  human  race.  The  result  —  the  first 
great  result  —  will  be  an  enlarged  intercourse  of  all  nations, 
increasing  civilization,  the  carrying  of  the  word  of  God  to 
nations  '  sitting  in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death.'  It 
will  open  also  great  branches  of  legitimate  commerce,  and 
that  commerce  will  carry  in  its  train  all  the  branches  of 
civilization." 

Rev.  Dr.  Vaughn  said  :  "  History  shows  us  that  there  is 
no  nation  upon  the  foce  of  the  earth,  at  the  present  moment, 
bearing  the  Christian  name,  that  may  not  be  regarded  as 
the  fruit  of  Christian  missions.  It  will  be  clear  as  daylight, 
my  lord,  that  we,  at  this  moment,  should  have  been  in  a 
state  of  barbarism  as  trulj''  as  the  remote  generations  from 
whom  we  have  descended,  but  for  the  labors  of  Christian 
missionaries.  This  is  a  great  truth,  lying  out  upon  the  sur- 
face of  Europe.     It  does  not  admit  of  dispute." 

Sir  Roderick  I.  Murchison,  President  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  ofiered  a  resolution,  and  remarked  that 
"  The  society  with  which  he  Avas  connected  had  been  no 
idle  spectators  of  tlie  career  of  Dr.  Livingston,  and  had 
sought,  upon  all  occasions,  to  assist  his  labors.  It  gave 
him  great  satisfaction  to  perceive  that  the  meeting  last 
night,  of  the  Geographical  Society,  was  by  far  one  of  the 
most  numerous  and  influential  which  the  society  had  ever 
23 


266  THE   GOSPEL    A   BLESSING,   ETC. 

held.  They  had  there  the  representatives  of  Russia,  Sar- 
dinia, Portugal,  and  of  many  other  states.  It  is  impossible 
to  do  justice  to  the  value  or  extent  of  the  discoveries  which 
had  been  made  by  Dr.  Livingston.  The  unarmed  and  unas- 
sisted exertions  of  the  missionary,  contrasted  most  favorably 
in  their  results  with  those  attempts  made  at  discovery  by 
armed  men,  and  companies  provided  with  every  facility  for 
travelling.  On  behalf  of  all  scientific  men,  he  returned  their 
grateful  thanks,  not  only  to  Dr.  Livingston,  but  to  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society,  which  had  been  the  means  of 
accomplishing  more  than  it  had  cost  the  country  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  pounds  to  achieve  on  former  occasions. 
For  no  man  who  preceded  Dr.  Livingston,  had  traversed 
half  the  space  in  the  far  distant  and  benighted  regions  of 
South  Africa  that  ho  had  done." 

Sir  II.  Rawliuson  next  took  the  platform,  and  observed  : 
"  It  was  not,  perhaps,  generally  known,  how  much  the 
science  of  Geography  was  indebted  to  the  missionary's 
exertions  ;  but  if  tliey  examined  the  history,  either  of  Asia 
or  Africa,  they  would  find  that,  from  the  remotest  ages  to 
the  present  day,  all  great  discoveries  had  been  made  by 
missionaries." 

The  strong  language  of  approval,  applied  to  the  London 
Missionary  Society  and  its  servants,  will  apply  also  to  other 
and  kindred  societies,  as  promoters  of  science,  commerce, 
and  all  the  improvements  on  which  national  progress  and 
happiness  depend.  Such  is  Christianity,  in  its  legitimate 
results,  blessing  the  life  that  now  is,  as  well  as  that  which 
is  to  come. 

TVKECKED   SAILORS  AND  THE  ESQUIMAUX. 

In  the  summer  of  1849,  the  ship  Graham,  while  convey- 
ing stores  to  the  York  factory,  for  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany, met  with  large  masses  of  ice,  and  finally  sunk.  Iler 
crew  took  to  the  ship's  boats,  and  for  fourteen  days  pur- 
sued their  perilous  way  along  the  coast,  suffering  the 
greatest  hardships.  One  of  these  boats  was  lost,  and  all 
in  her  perished.  The  other,  after  eleven  days  more  of 
intense  suffering,  fell  in  with  two  Esquimaux  in  a  canoe. 
The  Esquimaux  approached  the  boat  with  caution  at  first ; 
but,  on  ascertaining  the  real  situation  of  the  strangers,  they 
at  once  jumped  on  board,  took  the  oars  from  their  weakened 
hands,  pulled  them  on  shore,  caught  a  suppFy  offish,  which 
they  quickly  cooked,  and  treated  them  with  the  greatest 


RIGHTS   OF   CONSCIENCE   IN   INDIA.  267 

kindness  and  attention.  The  news  of  their  arrival  soon 
spread  among  tlieir  party  of  thirty  or  forty  men  and  women, 
who  proved  to  be  natives  of  Okkak,  a  Moravian  missionary 
settlement  on  the  coast  of  Labrador.  As  the  shipwrecked 
crew  appi'oached  the  shore,  the  whole  of  these  Christian 
people  assembled  at  the  landing-place,  and  greeted  them 
with  hj'mns  of  praise  to  God  for  their  preservation.  They 
then  conveyed  them  to  their  tents,  and  supplied  their 
wants.  What  a  different  reception  might  they  have  met 
with,  had  the  Gospel  never  visited  these  shores  !  Mariners 
have  special  reason  to  thank  God  for  the  establishment  of 
Christian  missions  in  the  pagan  regions  which  they  are 
obliged  to  visit,  or  into  which  they  may  be  driven.  —  Jour, 
of  Miss.,  1850,  p.  23. 

EIGHTS  OF  CONSCIENCE  IN  INDIA. 

Many  instances  are  recorded,  in  this  volume,  of  extreme 
persecution,  and  the  loss  of  all  things,  endured  by  Hindoos 
embracing  Christianity.  British  law,  however,  enlightened 
and  guided  b}^  the  Gospel  in  the  hands  of  missionaries, 
has  of  late  put  an  effectual  check  upon  this  spirit  of  intol- 
erance and  cruelty.  Of  this  measure  the  "  Friend  of  India  " 
thus  spoke  in  1850  : 

"  This  is  the  great  charter  of  religious  liberty  no.w  about 
to  be  established  for  the  first  time  throughout  the  British 
dominions  in  India.  The  new  law  will  establish  the  rights 
of  conscience  in  India,  and  enable  any  man  to  profess  the 
creed  he  prefers,  without  the  fear  of  being  thereby  deprived 
of  all  the  property  to  which  he  would  otherwise  have  been 
entitled.  It  was  idle  to  talk  of  anything  like  liberty  of 
conscience,  while  the  provisions  of  the  Hindoo  law  formed 
part  and  parcel  of  our  code.  The  present  act  is,  of  course, 
a  complete  abrogation  of  that  portion  of  the  shaster  which 
was  intended  to  keep  the  land  of  India  forever  bound  to  the 
support  of  Hindooism,  by  ordaining  that  no  one  should  en- 
joy the  fruits  of  the  soil,  who  did  not  adhere  to  the  Hindoo 
religion.  But  the  legislation  of  Menu  belonged  to  the  age 
of  Hindoo  conservatism,  when  the  rights  of  conscience  were 
as  little  understood  as  in  the  days  of  St.  Dominick,  and  it 
would  be  preposterous  to  suppose  that  it  should  continue  in 
force  in  the  present  age,  when  India  has  come  into  the  pos- 
session of  those  Avho  pride  themselves  on  honoring  those 
rights.  We  are  fully  aware  that  the  feeling  of  abhorrence 
towards  all  who  embrace  Christianity  is  almost  incredibly 


268  THE    GOSPEL   A   BLESSING,   ETC. 

intense  in  the  Hindoo  community  ;  and  we  can  easily  ac- 
count for  the  feelings  of  indignation  which  the  new  law  will 
for  a  time  engender.  But  it  is  a  law  of  essential  justice  and 
equity,  and  no  eflbrt  which  the  Hindoos  can  make  will  turn 
government  from  its  purpose." 

The  above  law  is  understood  to  have  gone  into  practical 
operation  in  British  India,  thus  shielding  the  more  recent 
Hindoo  converts  to  Christianity  from  the  most  appalling 
suiferings  in  this  life,  and  illustrating,  in  another  form,  the 
temporal  benefits  of  the  Gospel. 


ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 


"THEIR   FOOT    SHALL    SLIDE   IN"  DUE    TIME." 

Deut.  32  :  35.  "I  have  trusted  also  in  the  Lord,  there- 
fore I  shall  not  slide.''  —  Ps.  26  :  1.  "  The  law  of  his  God  is 
in  his  heart ;  none  of  his  steps  shall  slide.  But  as  for  me, 
my  feet  were  almost  gone  ;  my  steps  had  well-nigh  slipped.'' 
—  Ps.  13  :  2.  These  texts  are  strikingly  illustrated  in  the 
following  narrative  of  a  missionary  in  Northern  Hindostan, 
Rev.  Joseph  Warren  :  "  During  my  journey  in  the  Hima- 
layas, I  was  often  reminded  of  these  and  other  similar  pas- 
sages of  Scripture.  The  mountain  roads  are  very  narrow. 
They  are  not  often  wide  enough  for  more  than  two  men  to 
walk  together,  and  we  generally  find  it  easier  to  follow  in 
single  file.  I  never  saw  the  men  who  carry  loads  walking 
two  abreast.  There  are  ascents  and  descents  so  steep  as  to 
require  the  traveller  to  plant  his  foot  firmly  and  carefully, 
in  order  to  prevent  his  falling  —  sliding  —  down  the  hill.  In 
some  places  the  road  leads  around  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
or  along  the  bank  of  a  torrent,  with  a  precipice  either  per- 
pendicular, or  nearly  so,  immediately  on  one  side  of  it,  of 
hundreds  of  feet  in  height.  Sometimes  the  sharp  ascent  or 
descent  is  combined  with  the  precipice  on  one  side  ;  and  a 
further  complication  of  the  difficulty  is  made  by  both  a  slope 
of  the  road  towards  its  outer  edge,  and  a  chalky  or  frialilo 
kind  of  stone  in  the  pathway,  aflbrding  no  safe  hold  to  the 
feet.  In  many  of  these  places,  the  traveller  looks  down  a 
giddy  slope  of  a  hundred,  a  thousand,  or  two  thousand  feet, 
on  which  no  foothold  could  be  found  ;  with  the  conscious- 
ness that  a  false  step,  or  a  breaking  of  the  bank  under  his 
feet,  would  precipitate  him  into  the  ravine  below,  without 
his  having  the  least  ability  to  prevent  the  catastrophe. 
Once,  when  riding  along  the  bank  of  a  ravine  filled  with 
stones,  I  came  to   a  place  where  the  bank  above  the  road 


270  ILLUSTRATIONS    OF   SCRIPTURES. 

had  slipped  down  and  filled  the  pathway,  excepting  about 
eight  inches  at  the  outer  edge.  As  the  ravine  was  not  very- 
deep,  and  therefore  did  not  look  very  nervous,  I  rode  around 
the  heap,  and  my  horse's  hind  feet  broke  down  the  remain- 
der of  the  pathway.  He  carried  me  safely  over,  however, 
but  I  could  not  help  saying  to  myself  the  words  quoted 
at  the  head  of  this  article  :  '  My  steps  had  well-nigh  slip- 
2:>ed.'  A  great  part  of  the  wilderness  in  which  the  children 
of  Israel  journeyed  is  mountainous  ;  so  is  the  greater  part 
of  Judea.  The  figures  derived  from  this  fact  are  very  ex- 
pressive. No  one  can  feel  their  full  meaning,  iinless  he  has 
had  some  experience  of  mountain  paths."  —  Pres.  For. 
Miss.,  1854,  p.  180. 

THE  RECEIPT  OF  CUSTOM. 

Matthew  9  :  9.  "  And  as  Jesus  passed  forth  from  thence, 
he  saw  a  man,  named  Matthew,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of 
custom  "  (or  rather  at  the  custom-house).  Any  person  may 
see  this  ancient  custom  exemplified  to  this  daj'^,  at  the  gate 
of  Smyrna.  The  mirigee,  or  collector  of  customs,  sits  there, 
in  the  house  allotted  him,  and  receives  the  money  which  is 
due  from  various  persons  and  commodities  entering  into 
the  city.  The  exactions  and  rude  behavior  of  these  men  are 
just  in  character  with  the  conduct  of  the  publicans  men- 
tioned in  the  New  Testament.  I  was  myself,  the  day  before 
I  left  Turkey,  grossly  insulted  by  a  man  of  this  class,  be- 
cause he  chose  to  suppose  that  the  mule  on  which  I  was 
riding  was  liable  to  pay  duty.  A  terrible  fracas  took  place, 
in  which  some  Franks,  who  came  to  my  assistance,  tore  the 
animal  away  from  him  by  main  strength.  When  men  are 
guilty  of  such  conduct  as  this,  no  wonder  they  were  detested 
in  ancient  times,  as  were  the  publicans,  and  in  modern  times, 
as  are  the  mirigees.  — Harlley's  Researches  in  Greece,  p.  216. 

"CURSED  BE  THE    MAIST,"  ETC. 

In  India,  the  birth  of  a  boy  is  greeted,  both  by  parents 
and  relatives,  with  the  liveliest  manifestations  of  jo3^  So 
in  Arabia  —  whenever  a  son  is  born,  one  of  the  domestics, 
after  announcing  it  hastily  to  the  faniil}^  runs  to  the  door, 
which  she  beats  with  all  her  might,  to  attract  notice,  ex- 
claiming all  the  while,  "  A  male  child !  a  male  child !  a 
male  child  is  born."  In  Persia,  when  such  an  event  takes 
place,  some  confidential  servant  is  generally  the  first  to  get 
the  information,  when  he  runs  in  great  haste  to  his  master, 


TELLING   THE   FLOCKS.  271 

exclaiming,  "  Good  news  !  "  by  which  he  secures  to  himself 
a  gift.  No  such  joy  attends  the  birth  of  a  daughter.  She 
is  despised  as  soon  as  born,  and  often  destroyed.  To  these 
facts,  or  customs  like  them,  allusion  is  made,  Jer.  20  :  15,  — 
"  Cursed  be  the  man  who  brought  tidings  to  my  father, 
saying,  A  man-child  is  born  unto  thee  ;  making  him  very 
glad."  — Py-es.  For  Miss.,  1853,  p.  4. 

KETURN  OF  THE  STORK. 

The  passage  below,  from  the  journal  of  Mr.  Perkins,  of 
the  Nestorian  mission,  gives  force  and  meaning  to  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  Scripture  allusions.  He  says,  Febru- 
ary 24  :  "  The  stork  that  has  its  nest  on  a  sycamore-tree 
directly  above  my  study  window,  returned  from  his  annual 
pilgrimage.  The  Mohammedans  pay  great  deference  to  the 
stork,  and  treat  it  with  special  care  and  kindness,  and  her 
return  is  a  welcome  event  to  all,  as  it  is  the  unerring  an- 
nouncement of  the  return  of  spx'ing.  There  is  a  belief  and 
saj'ing  among  Mohammedans,  that  this  sagacious  bird 
will  not  frequent  the  premises  of  infidels  (Christians),  as  they 
are  unworthy  of  its  confidence.  The  noble  fowl  perched 
above  my  study  window,  and,  conspicuous  to  all  sections  of 
the  city,  must,  therefore,  impress  these  superstitious  people, 
with  an  idea  of  uncommon  sanctity  in  us,  for  Christians. 
An  instructive  religious  lesson  is  always  suggested  by  the 
return  of  this  fowl.  Says  Jeremiah,  '  Yea  the  stork  in  the 
heavens  knoweth  her  appointed  time,  but  my  people  know 
)iot  the  judgments  of  the  Lord.'  Strange,  that  the  fowls 
should  obey  their  instincts  with  so  much  certainty,  while 
the  people  of  God  follow  neither  reason  nor  revelation,  in 
regarding  the  signs  of  the  times,  and  what  conerns  their 
well-being."— J/«6S.  Her.,  1840,  p.  485. 

TELLING  THE  FLOCKS. 

Jeremiah  23  :  13.  In  Greece  the  shepherds  count  their 
flocks  by  admitting  them  one  by  one  into  a  pen.  This  is 
the  custom  to  which  Jeremiah  alludes  :  "  In  the  cities  of 
the  mountains,  &c.,  shall  the  flocks  pass  again  under  the 
hand  of  him  that  telleth  them."  General  Jarvis  tells  me 
that  Ibrahim  Pasha  counted  the  Greeks  who  surrendered  to 
him  at  Navarino,  in  the  same  manner.  —  Earllei/s  Researches 
ill  Greece,  &c.,  p.  364. 


272  ILLUSTRATIONS    OF   SCRIPTURE. 

SKINS    OF    WINE. 

Judges  4:9.  I  observe  that  the  peasants  in  Greece  not 
only  still  carry  their  wine  to  market  in  skins,  but  also  their 
milk.  Such,  in  all  probability,  was  the  botlle  of  milk  which 
Jael  opened  for  Sisera.  Tivo  bottles  of  ivine  {1  Sam.  25  :  18) 
appear  to  an  English  reader  but  a  trifling  present  for  David 
and  his  numerous  companions  ;  but  two  skins  of  wine,  which 
they  doubtless  were,  are  something  much  more  considera- 
ble, being  a  load  for  an  ass  or  a  mule,  as  I  have  often  wit- 
nessed.—  Hartlefs  Researches  in  Gr'eece,  &c.,  p.  356.  ' 

"WASHING  HANDS. 

2  Kings  3  :  11.  "Here  is  Elisha,  the  son  of  Shaphat, 
which  poured  water  on  the  hands  of  Elijah."  An  article 
in  one  of  the  Church  Missionary  Papers  for  1832,  says  : 
"  The  Oriental  method  of  washing  is  universally  difiTerent 
from  that  practised  in  the  west.  Nowhere  is  water  previ- 
ously poured  into  a  basin,  but  the  servant  pours  water  upon 
the  hands  of  his  master.  The  custom  of  washing  hands 
before  dinner  prevails  also  to  this  day.  The  servant  goes 
round  to  all  the  guests,  with  a  pitcher  and  a  vessel  to  re- 
ceive the  water  falling  from  the  hands,  and  performs  the 
oflSce  here  attributed  to  Elisha.  The  same  service  is 
repeated  when  the  repast  is  ended." 

OLIVE-GRAFTING. 

Romans  11  :  17,  20,  23,  24.  My  friend  showed  me  a 
few  wild  olives,  but  by  far  the  greater  number  are  such  as 
have  been  grafted.  lie  informs  me  that  it  is  the  usual  prac- 
tice in  Greece  to  graft,  from  a  good  tree,  upon  the  wild 
olive.  I  also  noticed  the  manner  in  which  the  vine  is  cut, 
or  purged  (John  15  :  2).  Only  two  or  three  of  the  principal 
sprouts  are  permitted  to  grow  up  from  the  root ;  the  rest 
are  cut  off ;  and  this  practice  is  often  called  by  the  Greeks 
cleaning.  —  Hartlefs  Researches  in  Greece,  &c.,  p.  314. 

CAST  THY  BREAD  UPON  THE  WATERS. 

Eccl.  11:1.  Rev.  William  Fox,  in  his  "  History  of  the 
Wesleyan  Missions  in  Western  Africa,"  p.  480,  saj's  : 
"  The  rice  farms  are  in  low,  swampy  savannas,  and  the 
seed  is  not  sown  till  a  considerable  quantity  of  rain  has 
fallen,  and  the  earth  is  thus  moistened  and  covered  by  a 
partial  inundation,  caused  by  the  heavy  rains  and  over- 
flow of  the  rivers.     It  is  highly  probable  that  the  passage 


PRICKS    IN   YOUE   EYES.  275 

borhood  run  to  chase  away  the  thieves.  For  two  or  three 
months  this  poor  watchman  fulfils  his  painful  employment, 
in  the  midst  of  rains,  thunders,  and  lightnings." 

THE   COimUPTIBIiE  CHOWW. 

Rev.  S.  S.  Wilson,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
who  spent  sixteen  years  in  Malta  and  Greece,  remarks, 
while  at  Nemea :  "This  city,  this  very  locality  on  which  I 
now  stand,  was  one  of  the  four  sites  of  the  famous  Olympic 
contests,  celebrated  every  three  years  in  honor  of  Jove.  At 
the  Nemean  games  the  Argives  presided,  and  the  only  prize 
was  a  crown.  To  this  crown  allusion  was  made  by  St.  Paul: 
'  Now  they  contend  for  a  corruptible  crown,  we  for  an  incor- 
ruptible.' Corruptible,  or  fading,  indeed,  it  was,  for  it  was 
often  made  of  laurel  orpars/t'^." 

THE  BOAR  OUT  OF  THE  WOOD. 

Psalm  30  :  13.  "  The  boar  out  of  the  wood  doth  devour 
it."  My  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Leeves,  was  proceeding,  in 
the  dusk  of  the  evening,  from  Constantinople  to  Therapia. 
Passing  a  vineyard,  he  observed  an  animal  of  large  size 
rushing  forth  from  among  the  vines,  crossing  the  road,  and 
taking  to  flight  with  great  precipitation.  The  Greek  syro- 
gee  (guard)  who  was  riding  first,  exclaimed,  "Wild  boar! 
wild  boar  !  "  and  really  it  proved  a  wild  boar,  who  was  re- 
treating from  the  vineyards  to  the  woods.  "  What  has  the 
wild  boar  to  do  in  the  vineyard  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Leeves. 
"  0,"  said  the  syrogee,  "  'tis  the  custom  of  the  wild  boars 
to  frequent  the  vineyards,  and  to  devour  the  grapes.  And 
it  is  astonishing  what  havoc  a  wild  boar  is  capable  of  effect- 
ing during  a  single  night.  What  with  eating,  and  what 
with  trampling  under  foot,  he  will  destroy  an  immense 
quantity  of  grapes." —  Church  Miss.  Rec,  April,  1832. 

PRICKS  IN"  YOUR  EYES. 

Numbers  23  :  55.  "  Pricks  in  your  eyes,  and  thorns  in 
your  feet."  (2  Cor.  12  :  Y.)  People  in  the  East,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  tight  clothing,  of  the  exposed  state  of  their 
leet,  and  the  narrowness  of  the  paths,  have  a  great  dread 
of  thorns.  Those  who  carry  the  palankeen,  or  who  travel 
in  groups,  often  cry  aloud,  "  Mullu,  Mullu  !  "  —  a  thorn,  a 
thorn  !  The  sufferer  soon  throws  himself  on  the  earth,  and 
some  one,  famous  for  his  skill,  extracts  the  thorn.  Does 
a  person   see  something  of  a  distressing  nature,  he  says. 


274  ILLUSTRATIONS    OF   SCRIPTURE. 

practised.  But  tlie  following  extract  from  a  journal  of  Rev. 
John  Hartley,  missionary  in  the  Mediten-anean,  presents  a 
parallel  case  : 

"The  Armenian  brides  are  veiled  during  the  marriage 
ceremony  ;  and  hence  deceptions  have  occurred  in  regard 
to  the  person  chosen  for  a  wife.  I  am  informed  that  on 
one  occasion  a  young  vVrmenian  at  Smyrna  solicited  in  mar- 
riage a  younger  daughter,  whom  he  admired.  The  parents 
of  the  girl  consented  to  the  request,  and  every  previous 
arrangement  was  made.  When  the  time  for  solemnizing 
the  marriage  arrived,  the  elder  daughter,  who  Avas  not  so 
beautiful,  was  conducted  by  the  parents  to  the  altar,  and 
the  young  man  was  unconsciously  married  to  her.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  that  in  the  morning,  behold,  it  was  the  elder 
daughter  !  The  deceit  was  not  discovered  till  it  could  not 
be  rectified,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  parents  justified 
themselves,  was  precisely  that  of  Laban.  '  It  must  not  be 
so  done  in  our  country,  to  give  the  younger  before  the  first- 
born.' It  is  really  the  rule  amongst  Armeinans,  that 
neither  a  younger  son  nor  daughter  be  married,  till  their 
elder  brother  or  sister  have  preceded  them.  It  was  in  con- 
versation with  an  Armenian,  of  Smyrna,  that  this  fact  was 
related  to  me.  I  naturally  exclaimed,  '  Why,  that  is  just 
the  deception  which  was  practised  upon  Jacob.'  —  'What 
deception  ?  '  he  exclaimed,  for  he  was  ignorant  of  the  Old 
Testament.  Upon  giving  him  a  relation  of  Jacob's  mar- 
riage, he  assented  to  it  at  once,  as  a  circumstance  in  no 
way  impossible."  —  Harlleifs  Researches  in  Greece,  &c., 
p.  207. 

A   LODGE  IN  A  GARDEN. 

In  the  Missionary  Herald  for  February,  1824,  is  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  following  passage  in  Isaiah  1  :  8, —  "  The 
daughter  of  Zion  is  left  as  a  cottage  in  a  vineyard,  as  a 
lodge  in  a  garden  of  cucumbers."  Speaking  of  Eastern 
countries,  the  writer  says  :  "  At  the  beginning  of  the  rainy 
season  great  quantities  of  melons,  cucumbers,  and  gourds, 
are  planted  to  serve  for  the  principal  food  of  the  inhabitants  ; 
but,  as  the  plants  grow  in  tlie  open  country,  it  is  customary 
to  raise  a  little  mound  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  with  a 
small  hut  upon  it,  to  furnish  shelter  for  the  guard,  who  is 
to  drive  away  thieves,  aiul  especially  monkey's,  which  come 
there  in  great  numbers  for  plunder.  In  case  of  invasion, 
the  guard  gives  a  signal,  and  all  the  peasants  in  the  neigh- 


EATING    TOGETHER.  279 

country,  that  '  a  stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee 
IVdin  him  ;  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers.'  The 
shepliord  told  me  that  many  of  his  sheep  are  still  ivild  ;  that 
they  had  not  yet  learned  their  names  ;  but  that,  by  teach- 
ing, they  would  all  learn  them.  The  others,  which  knew 
tlieir  na'mes,  he  called  tame.  IIow  natural  an  application 
to  the  state  of  the  human  race  does  this  description  of  the 
sheep  admit  of!  The  Uood  Shepherd  laid  down  his  life  for 
the  sheep,  but  many  of  them  are  still  wild  —  they  know  not 
his  voice.  Others  have  learned  to  obey  his  call,  and  to  fol- 
low him  ;  and  we  rejoice  to  think  that,  even  to  those  not 
yet  in  his  fold,  the  words  are  applicable,  'Them,  also,  I 
mnst  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall  be 
one  fold  and  one  Shepherd.'  " — Church  Missionary  Record, 
1830,  p.  96. 

SEKPENT-CHABMIIirG. 

The  charming  of  snakes  by  means  of  music,  particularly 
the  pipe,  is  very  common  throughout  Malabar.  This  is 
confined  to  a  class  of  people  called  Korawara.  They  also 
pretend  to  cure  the  bite  of  the  most  venomous  serpents. 
People  of  this  description  are  to  be  met  with  in  many  parts 
of  India.  There  is  a  striking  aflhiity  between  this  custom 
and  some  of  the  facts  mentioned  in  Scripture. — Jer.  8  :  H, 
—  "  For,  behold,  I  will  send  serpents,  cockatrices,  among 
you,  which  will  not  be  charmed."  —  Eccl.  10  :  11.  "  Surely 
the  serpent  will  bite  without  enchantment." — Miss.  Her., 
Nov.,  1834. 

BOLSTER  AND  CRUISE  OP  "WATER. 

1  Samuel  26:  11.  "His  bolster  and  the  cruise  of 
water."  Thus  did  Saul  sleep  with  his  head  on  the  bolster, 
and  a  vessel  of  water  by  his  side  ;  and  in  this  way  do  all 
Eastern  travellers  sleep  at  this  day.  The  bolster  is  round, 
and  about  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  twenty  in  length. 
In  travelling  it  is  carried  rolled  up  in  the  mat  on  which  the 
owner  sleeps.  In  a  hot  climate  a  draught  of  water  is  very 
refreshing  in  the  night ;  hence  a  vessel,  filled  with  w;iter, 
is  always  kept  near  where  a  person  sleeps.  —  Juvenile  Mis- 
sionary  Herald,  1846,  p.  81. 

EATING   TOGETHER. 

Eating  together  as  a  token  of  friendship,  in  the  East, 
appears  to  be  still  a  custom,  as  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour. 
Says  a  missionary  in  the  Holy  Land:  "We  feel  ourselves 


276  ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 

"  That  was  a  thorn  in  my  eyes."  A  father  says  of  his  bad 
son,  "  lie  is  to  me  as  a  thorn."  A  person  going-  to  live  in 
an  unhealthy  place,  or  where  there  are  quarrelsome  people, 
is  said  to  be  "  going  to  a  thorny  desert."  —  Juvenile  Mias. 
Her.,  1847,  p.  88. 

Job  7:2.  "  As  a  servant  earnestly  desireth  the 
shadow,"  &c.  The  people  of  the  East  measure  time  by  the 
length  of  their  shadows.  Hence,  if  you  ask  a  man  what 
o'clock  it  is,  he  immediately  goes  into  the  sun,  stands  erect, 
looks  where  his  sliadow  terminates,  then  he  measures  the 
length  with  his  feet,  and  tells  you  nearly  the  time..  Thus 
they  earnestly  desire  the  shadow,  which  indicates  the  time 
for  leaving  their  work.  A  person  wishing  to  leave  his  toil, 
says,  "  IIow  long  my  shadow  is  in  coming."  If  he  is  asked, 
"  Why  did  you  not  come  sooner  ?  "  he  replies,  "  Because  I 
waited  for  my  shadow."  —  Juv.  Miss.  Hay.,  1847,  p.  263. 

PBAYITsTG  IN  THE  CORNERS   OF  THE   STREETS. 

Matthew 5  :  6.  "They  love  to  pray,  standing  in  the  corners 
of  the  streets."  Both  Hindoos  and  Mussulmans  offer  their 
prayers  in  the  most  public  place  ;  as  at  the  landing-places 
of  rivers,  in  the  public  streets,  and  on  the  roofs  of  boats, 
without  the  least  effort  at  concealment. — Juv.  Miss.  Mag., 
1849,  p.  30. 

THE   BARLEY    HARVEST. 

"  The  barley  harvest,"  says  a  missionary  in  Greece,  "is 
now  going  forward.  As  Argos  has  the  greatest  extent  of 
corn  land  in  the  Morea,  at  least  at  present,  a  great  number 
of  persons  are  assembled  here  from  all  parts,  in  order  to 
glean.  I  see  tlie  young  women,  in  particular,  returning 
from  their  employment,  with  large  quantities  upon  their 
backs.  Here,  then,  we  find  a  custom  prevailing,  similar  to 
that  in  which  Ruth  was  engaged.  —  Ruth  2  :  3."  — Church 
Miss.  Bee,  1830,  p.  113. 

CAMPING  OP  LOCUSTS. 

Nahum  3:  17.  "Thy  crowned  are  as  the  locusts,  and 
thy  captains  as  the  great  grasshoppers,  which  camp  in  the 
hedges  in  the  cold  day  ;  but,  when  the  sun  ariseth,  they 
flee  away,  and  their  place  is  not  known  where  they  are." 
Nothing  could  be  more  accurate  than  this  description  of  the 
grasshoppers.  I  observed  this  appearance,  on  a  journey 
from  Constantinople  to  Smyrna  by  land.    Early  in  the  morn- 


BEHOLD   IT  WAS   LEAH.  273 

in  the  Old  Testament  alludes  to  the  sowing  of  rice,  when  it 
is  said,  '  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters  ;  for  thou  shalt 
find  it  after  many  days  ;  '  for  in  some  instances  this  '  bread,' 
or  rice,  is  literally  '  cast  upon  the  waters,'  and  it  is  certainly 
'found  after  many  days,'  with  a  very  large  percentage  or 
return." 

TREADING  OUT  THE  CORN". 

"The  manner  of  this  operation,"  says  Mr.  Johnston, 
missionary  at  Trebizond,  "  seems  to  be  universally  the 
scriptural  one.  The  sheaves  are  spread  down  upon  a  hard, 
circular  floor  of  earth  in  the  open  field,  and  pairs  of  oxen 
are  driven  round  upon  it,  dragging  after  them  a  kind  of  sled, 
consisting  of  two  broad  boards  joined  together,  the  under 
side  being  thickly  set  with  sharp  stones.  Upon  this  the 
driver  stands,  with  whip  or  goad  in  hand,  which  he  uses 
freely,  but  permits  his  animals  to  eat  as  much  as  they 
choose.  I  never  saw  a  single  ox  muzzled  while  employed 
in  treadirig  out  the  corn."  — Hiss.  Her.,  Oct.,  1837. 

THE  CAMEL'S    FURNITURE. 

Genesis  31  :  34.  "Now  Rachel  had  taken  the  images, 
and  put  them  in  the  camel's  furniture,  and  sat  upon  them." 
Is  not  the  camel's  furniture  the  large  seat,  or  pack-saddle, 
which  we  observe  invariably  upon  the  back  of  camels  ? 
AVhen  taken  off  at  the  close  of  the  journey,  it  would  equally 
afford  a  place  of  concealment  for  the  images,  and  a  conven- 
ient seat  for  Rachel."  —  Church  Missionary  Papers,  No. 
65,  1832. 

SHIBBOLETH. 

Judges  12:6.  "  Then  said  they  unto  him,  Say  now 
Shibboleth  ;  and  he  said  Sibboleth,  for  he  could  not  frame 
to  pronounce  it  right." 

The  Greeks  have  not  the  sound  sh  in  their  language  ; 
hence  they  are  liable  to  be  detected,  like  the  Ephraimites. 
I  was  struck  with  this  circumstance  in  learning  Turkish 
from  a  Greek  tutor.  Pasha,  he  pronounced  Pasa ;  sldmidi, 
he  called  simidi;  Dervish,  he  called  Dervis,  etc.  Shibbo- 
leth he  would,  of  course,  pronounce  Sibboleth.  —  Hartley's 
Researches  in  Greece,  &c.,  p.  210. 

BEHOLD  IT  -WAS    LEAH. 

Genesis  29  :  25.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  the  morning, 
behold  it  was  Leah,"  &c.  It  appears  almost  impossible  to 
Europeans,  that  a  deception  like  that  of  Laban's  could  be 


274  ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 

practised.  But  the  following'  extract  from  a  journal  of  Rev. 
John  Hartley,  missionary  in  the  Mediterranean,  presents  a 
parallel  case  : 

"  Tiie  Armenian  brides  are  veiled  during  the  marriage 
ceremony  ;  and  hence  deceptions  have  occurred  in  regard 
to  the  person  chosen  for  a  wife.  I  am  informed  that  on 
one  occasion  a  young  Armenian  at  Smyrna  solicited  in  mar- 
riage a  younger  daughter,  whom  he  admired.  The  parents 
of  the  girl  consented  to  the  request,  and  every  previous 
arrangement  was  made.  When  the  time  for  solemnizing 
the  marriage  arrived,  the  elder  daughter,  who  was  not  so 
beautiful,  was  conducted  by  the  parents  to  the  altar,  and 
the  young  man  was  unconsciously  married  to  her.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  that  in  the  morning,  behold,  it  was  the  elder 
daughter  !  The  deceit  was  not  discovered  till  it  could  not 
be  rectified,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  parents  justified 
themselves,  was  precisely  that  of  Laban.  '  It  must  not  be 
so  done  in  our  country,  to  give  the  younger  before  the  first- 
born.' It  is  really  the  rule  amongst  Armenians,  that 
neither  a  3'ounger  son  nor  daughter  be  married,  till  their 
elder  brother  or  sister  have  preceded  them.  It  was  in  con- 
versation with  an  Armenian,  of  Smyrna,  that  this  fact  was 
related  to  me.  I  naturally  exclaimed,  '  Why,  that  is  just 
the  deception  which  was  practised  upon  Jacob.'  —  'What 
deception  ?  '  he  exclaimed,  for  he  was  ignorant  of  the  Old 
Testament.  Upon  giving  him  a  relation  of  Jacob's  mar- 
riage, he  assented  to  it  at  once,  as  a  circumstance  in  no 
way  impossible."  —  Hartleifs  Researches  in  Greece,  &c., 
p.  207. 

A    LODGE  Ilf  A  GARDEN". 

In  the  Missionary  Herald  for  February,  1824,  is  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  following  j^assage  in  Isaiah  1  :  8, —  "  The 
daughter  of  Zion  is  left  as  a  cottage  in  a  vineyard,  as  a 
lodge  in  a  garden  of  cucumbers."  Speaking  of  Eastern 
countries,  the  writer  says  :  "  At  the  beginning  of  the  rainy 
season  great  quantities  of  melons,  cucumbers,  and  gourds, 
are  planted  to  serve  for  the  principal  food  of  the  inhabitants  ; 
but,  as  the  plants  grow  in  the  open  country,  it  is  customary 
to  raise  a  little  mound  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  with  a 
small  hut  upon  it,  to  furnish  shelter  for  the  guard,  who  is 
to  drive  away  thieves,  and  especially  monkeys,  which  come 
there  in  great  numbers  for  plunder.  In  case  of  invasion, 
the  guard  gives  a  signal,  and  all  the  peasants  in  the  neigh- 


EATING   TOGETHER.  279 

country,  that  '  a  strang-er  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee 
from  him  ;  for  thc}^  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers.'  The 
sliepherd  told  me  that  many  of  his  sheep  are  still  loild  ;  that 
they  had  not  yet  learned  their  names  ;  but  that,  by  teach- 
ing, they  w^ould  all  learn  them.  The  others,  which  knew 
their  names,  he  called  fame.  How  natural  an  application 
to  the  state  of  the  human  race  does  this  description  of  the 
sheep  admit  of!  The  Good  Shepherd  laid  down  his  life  for 
the  sheep,  but  many  of  them  are  still  wild  —  they  know  not 
his  voice.  Others  have  learned  to  obey  his  call,  and  to  fol- 
low him  ;  and  we  rejoice  to  think  that,  even  to  those  not 
yet  in  his  fold,  the  words  are  applicable,  'Them,  also,  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall  be 
one  fold  and  one  Sheplierd.'  " — Church  Missionary  Record, 
1830,  p.  96. 

SERPENT-CHARMING. 

The  charming  of  snakes  by  means  of  music,  particularly 
the  pipe,  is  very  common  throughout  Malabar.  This  is 
confined  to  a  class  of  people  called  Korawara.  They  also 
pretend  to  cure  the  bite  of  the  most  venomous  serpents. 
People  of  this  description  are  to  be  met  with  in  many  parts 
of  India.  There  is  a  striking  affinity  between  this  custom 
and  some  of  the  facts  mentioned  in  Scripture.  — Jer.  8:17, 
—  "For,  behold,  I  will  send  serpents,  cockatrices,  among 
you,  which  will  not  be  charmed."  —  Eccl.  10  :  11.  "  Surely 
the  serpent  will  bite  without  enchantment." — Miss.  Her., 
Nov.,  1834. 

BOLSTER  AND   CRUISE  OP  "WATER. 

1  Samuel  26:  11.  "  Ilis  bolster  and  the  cruise  of 
water."  Thus  did  Saul  sleep  with  his  head  on  the  bolster, 
and  a  vessel  of  water  by  his  side  ;  and  in  this  way  do  all 
Eastern  travellers  sleep  at  this  day.  The  bolster  is  round, 
and  about  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  twenty  in  length. 
In  travelling  it  is  carried  rolled  up  in  the  mat  on  which  the 
owner  sleeps.  In  a  hot  climate  a  draught  of  water  is  very 
refreshing  in  the  night ;  hence  a  vessel,  filled  with  watei", 
is  always  kept  near  where  a  person  sleeps.  —  Juvenile  Mis- 
sionary Herald,  1846,  p.  87. 

EATING    TOGETHER. 

Eating  together  as  a  token  of  friendship,  in  the  East, 
appears  to  be  still  a  custom,  as  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour. 
Says  a  missionary  in  the  Iloly  Land  :  "We  feel  ourselves 


280  ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 

quite  secui-e  among  the  Arabs,  as  a  sheikh  of  the  port  had 
received  us  into  his  tent,  and  eaten  with  us  in  ours.  This 
made  him  our  friend,  as  nothing-  can  be  more  sacred  to  an 
Arab  than  the  person  and  property  of  one  with  whom  he 
has  eaten  bread.  It  is  even  said,  tliat,  if  enemies  eat  to- 
gether, by  chance  or  otherwise,  tiieir  animosities  cease,  and 
they  become  friends.  The  custom  of  binding  friendship  by 
eating  together,  must  have  been  alluded  to  in  the  affecting 
expression,  "  He  that  eateth  bread  with  me  hath  lifted  up 
his  heel  against  me."  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1841,  p.  205. 

A  LODGING-PLACE    IN   THE  -WILDERNESS. 

"  0,  that  I  had  in  the  wilderness  a  lodging-place  !  "  &c. 
Kev.  Mr.  Kincaid,  American  Baptist  missionary  in  Arracan, 
writes :  "  As  we  went  up  the  stream  the  hills  became  more 
lofty,  and  yet  many  of  them  were  cultivated  to  the  very 
summit.  Occasionally,  we  saw  a  house,  large  enough  for 
three  or  four  persons  to  sleep  in,  perched  in  the  top  of  a  tree 
thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  was  truly  pictu- 
resque to  see  a  house,  or  more  properly  a  lodge,  constructed 
in  the  top  of  a  tree  growing  on  the  very  summit  of  a  hill 
five  or  six  hundred  feet  high.  In  these  the  keepers  of  the 
field  lodge,  and  are  secure  from  tigers  and  elephants.  The 
latter,  in  particular,  are  numerous  among  these  mountains. 
These  airy  buildings  are  constructed,  among  these  moun- 
tains, beside  paths  leading  from  one  part  of  the  country  to 
another.  They  illustrate  a  passage  in  Jeremiah  9  :  2,  —  '0, 
that  I  had  in  the  wilderness  a  lodging-place  of  wayfaring 
men.'  "  —  Amer.  Bap.  Mag.,  1842,  p.  27. 

A  SHEEP  IN  COURT. 

A  man  in  India  was  arraigned,  a  few  months  since,  for 
stealing  a  sheep.  He  was  brought  before  the  judge,  and 
the  supposed  owner  of  the  sheep  was  also  present.  Both 
of  these  men  claimed  the  sheep,  and  had  witnesses  to  prove 
their  claim,  so  that  it  was  difficult  for  the  judge  to  decide 
to  which  the  sheep  belonged.  Knowing,  however,  the  cus- 
tom of  shepherds,  and  the  habits  of  the  animal,  he  resorted 
to  the  Ibllowing  expedient.  He  had  the  sheep  brought  into 
court,  and  sent  one  of  the  men  into  an  adjoining  room, 
while  he  told  the  other  to  call  the  sheep,  and  see  if  it  would 
come  to  him  ;  but  the  poor  animal,  not  knowing  the  "voice 
of  a  stranger,"  would  not  go  to  him.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  other  claimant,  who  was  in  an  adjoining  room,  growing 


A   ROLL    OF   A   BOOK.  277 

ing,  the  locusts  were  seen  congregated  in  the  bnshos  by  the 
road-side,  in  a  close  mass,  which  it  woukl  be  difficult  to  ex- 
press in  better  words  than  '  camping  in  the  hedges.'  They 
appeared  to  be  assembled  with  all  the  precision  of  military 
tactics.  But,  when  the  sun  arose,  they  lied  away,  and  their 
place  was  not  known  where  they  were.  — Church  Missionary 
liecord,  1832. 

LETTING  A  BED  THROUGH  THE  ROOF. 

Mark  2:4.  "  And  when  they  could  not  come  nigh  unto 
him  for  the  press,  they  uncovered  the  roof  where  he  was, 
and,  when  they  had  broken  it  up,  they  let  down  the  bed 
whereon  the  sick  of  the  palsy  lay."  When  I  lived  in  Egina, 
I  used  to  look  up,  not  unfrequently,  at  the  roof  above  my 
head,  and  contemplate  the  facility  with  which  the  whole 
transaction  might  take  place.  The  roof  was  constructed  in 
this  manner  :  A  layer  of  reeds,  of  a  large  species,  was 
placed  upon  the  rafters.  On  these  a  quantity  of  heather 
was  strewed.  Upon  the  heather,  earth  was  deposited,  and 
beat  down  into  a  compact  mass.  Now,  what  difficulty 
would  there  be  in  removing,  first  the  earth,  then  the 
heather,  next  the  reeds  ?  Nor  would  the  difficulty  be  in- 
creased, if  the  earth  had  a  pavement  of  tiling  laid  upon  it. 
No  inconvenience  could  result  to  the  persons  in  the  house, 
from  the  removal  of  the  tiles  and  earth ;  for  the  heather  and 
reeds  would  intercept  anything  which  might  otherwise  fall 
down,  and  would  be  removed  last  of  all. 

A  ROLL  OP  A  BOOK. 

Ezekiel  2  :  9,  10.  "  And  when  I  looked,  behold  an  hand 
was  sent  unto  me  ;  and  lo,  a  roll  of  a  book  was  therein  ; 
and  he  spread  it  before  me,  and  it  was  written  within  and 
without."  In  the  monastery  of  Megaspelaion  I  observed 
two  beautiful  rolls  of  this  description.  They  contained  the 
liturgies  of  St.  Chrysostom,  and  that  attributed  by  the 
Greeks  to  St.  James.  You  began  to  read  by  unfoMing ;  and 
you  continued  to  read  and  to  unfold,  till  at  last  you  arrived 
at  the  stick  to  which  the  roll  was  attached.  Then  you 
turned  the  parchment  round,  and  continued  to  read  on  the 
other  side  of  the  roll,  folding  it  gradually  up,  till  you  com- 
pleted the  liturgy.  Thus  it  was  written  ivilhin  and  xoithout. 
—  Church  Ilissionary  liecord,  1832. 
24 


278  ILLUSTRATIONS    OF   SCRIPTURE. 

MODE  OF  SALUTATION. 

In  Syria,  if  you  meet  a  friend  in  the  morning,  he  says, 
"May  your  morning  be  happiness."  You  reply,  "And 
yours  be  peace."  He  asks  again,  "How  is  your  condi- 
tion?" You  answer,  "  If  it  please  God,  you  are  happy." 
You  say,  "Thank  God,  I  am  happy." — "And  how  is  your 
pleasure?"  He  answers,  "May  God  give  you  peace." 
When  he  leaves  you,  he  says,  "  By  your  permission,  I  de- 
part." You  reply,  "  Go  in  peace."  He  adds,  "  And  God 
give  you  peace."  In  travelling,  the  salutation  is,  "  May 
God  be  with  you."  Reply,  "  And  God  keep  you."  If  you 
call  at  a  person's  door,  he  says,  "You  are  welcome  ;  do 
me  the  favor  to  walk  in."  Reply,  "  May  God  increase  your 
bounty."  Answer,  "  And  God  give  you  long  life."  Salu- 
tations of  this  kind  were,  no  doubt,  as  freely  used  as  now 
in  that  country,  when  our  Saviour  labored  and  journeyed 
there.  And  accordingly  iTe; gave  the  benediction  of  "peace," 
but  not  as  the  world  giveth, —  not  as  a  heartless  form,  a 
mere  custom.  He  meant  it.  It  was  from  the  heart,  and 
was  a  substantial,  endia^ing  peace.  Others  might  offer  the 
salutation,  but  had  no  power  to  confer  the  blessing.  He 
could  give  the  peace  which  he  wished  to  his  friends.  — Miss. 
Her.,  1841,  p.  204. 

THE    SHEEP    HEAR   HIS    VOICE. 

ILLUSTRATIOX    OP    JOHN    10:  3. 

A  missionary  of  the  Church  of  England  writes  as  follows, 
from  the  Morea,  within  the  Mediterranean  mission  :  "  I 
have  met  with  an  illustration  of  a  passage  of  Scripture 
which  interests  me.  Having  had  my  attention  directed  to 
the  words  of  John  10  :  3,  —  '  The  sheep  hear  his  voice,  and 
he  calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name,'  —  I  asked  my  man  if  it 
was  usual  in  Greece  to  give  names  to  the  sheep.  He  in- 
formed me  that  it  was,  and  that  the  sheep  obeyed  the  shep- 
herd when  he  called  them  by  their  names.  This  morning 
I  had  an  oppoi-tunity  of  verifying  this  remark.  Passing  by 
a  flock  of  sheep,  I  asked  the  shepherd  tlie  same  question 
which  I  had  put  to  my  servant,  and  he  gave  me  the  same 
answer.  I  then  bade  him  call  one  of  his  sheep  ;  he  did  so, 
and  it  instantly  left  its  pasturage  and  its  companions,  and 
ran  up  to  the  hand  of  the  shepherd  with  signs  of  pleasure, 
and  with  a  prompt  obedience  which  I  had  never  before 
observed  in  any  animal.     It  is  also  true  of  the  sheep  of  this 


GEEAT    IS    DIANA.  281 

impatient,  and  probably  suspecting  the  nature  of  the  cxper- 
iinout  which  was  going  on,  gave  a  kind  of  "cluck,"  upon 
which  the  sheep  bounded  away  towards  him  without  a  mo- 
ment's delay.  This  "cluck"  was  the  way  in  which  he  had 
been  used  to  calling  his  sheep,  and  it  was  at  once  decided 
that  he  was  the  real  owner.  Thus  we  have  presented  to 
us,  incidentally,  a  beautiful  illustration  of  John  10  :  4,  5,- — ■ 
"  And  the  sheep  follow  him,  for  they  know  his  voice.  And 
a  stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from  him  ;  for 
they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers." 

THE    OX-GOAD. 

A  missionary  remarks,  "  I  have  seen,  in  Egina,  and  other 
parts  of  Greece,  that  kind  of  ox-goad  described  by  Maun- 
drell,  as  illustrative  of  the  instrument  with  which  Shamgar 
killed  six  hundred  men.  —  Judges  3  :  31.  It  is  often  eight 
or  nine  feet  in  length,  and  is  furnished  at  one  end  with  the 
goad,  and  at  the  other  with  a  large  weapon,  like  a  piece  of 
iron,  which  is  used  for  cleaning  the  ploughshare.  It  was, 
no  doubt,  this  latter  part  of  the  instrument  which  Shamgar 
used  as  a  battle-axe,  and  thus  killed  so  many  of  his  ene- 
mies."—  Church  Missionary  Record,  1830,  p.  98. 

GREAT  IS   DIANA. 

Acts  19  :  28.  The  Kev.  John  Hartley,  in  his  "  Missionary 
Researches  in  Greece  and  the  Levant,"  thus  illustrates  the 
force  of  this  passage,  and  the  verses  connected  with  it  • 
"  Nothing  at  Ephesus  was  so  interesting  as  the  remains  of 
the  theatre.  It  was  here  that  the  multitude,  collected  by 
Demetrius  and  his  craftsmen,  excited  the  uproar  which 
threw  the  whole  city  into  confusion  ;  and  the  situation  of 
the  building  aflbrds  illustration  of  that  remarkable  occur- 
rence. The  theatre,  like  other  ancient  structures,  is  seated 
on  a  steep  declivity;  the  scats  having  been  formed  in  suc- 
cessive tiers  on  the  slope  of  a  lofty  hill,  and  the  whole 
building  being  open  to  the  sky.  I  have  no  doubt  that  up- 
wards of  thirty  thousand  persons  could  have  conveniently 
seated  themselves  in  the  theatre  of  Ephesus.  Before  them, 
they  had  a  view  of  the  most  striking  description.  Across 
the  Market-Place,  and  at  no  great  distance,  they  belield 
that  splendid  temple,  which  was  one  of  the  '  Seven  Won- 
ders of  the  World,'  and  which  was  dedicated  to  the  great 
goddess  Diana,  ichoni  all  Asia  and  the  world  ivorshipped. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  Demetrius  would  avail  him- 
21* 


282  ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   SCRIPTURE. 

self  of  the  sight  of  this  splendid  object,  to  inflame  to  the 
highest  pitch  the  passions  of  the  multitude.  We  may  im- 
agine their  eyes  fixed  on  this  famous  temple,  and  their 
hands  directed  towards  it,  while  they  all,  ivith  one  voice,  about 
Jlie  space  of  two  hours,  cried  out,  Great  is  '  Diana  of  the  Ephe- 
sians!  '  The  very  situation  of  the  theatre  would  add  to  the 
tumult.  On  the  left  hand,  and  at  no  great  distance,  are  the 
steep  and  rocky  sides  of  Mount  Corissus,  forming  a  natural 
and  lofty  rampart,  which  completely  shuts  out  all  prospect 
in  that  direction.  The  shouts  of  twenty  thousand  people, 
striking  against  this  mountain,  would  be  reechoed  with  loud 
reverberations,  and  not  a  little  augment  the  uproar.  The 
high  situation  of  the  theatre,  on  Mount  Prion,  accounts 
also  for  the  ease  with  which  such  an  immense  multitude 
was  assembled.  From  every  part  of  Ephesus,  on  that  side, 
the  inhabitants  would  have  a  view  of  the  people  rushing 
into  the  theatre,  and  taking  their  seats  on  that  lofty  eleva- 
tion, and  would,  of  course,  themselves  run  with  impetuosity 
to  see  and  hear  the  cause  of  the  assembly.  Under  these 
circumstances,  it  is  by  no  means  matter  of  wonder  that  the 
attention  of  the  town-clerk  was  excited,  and  that  he  felt 
Jiiraself  called  upon  to  interpose  his  autliority." 


BREAD  UPON  THE  WATERS. 


SEED   SOWN  IN  TAHITI. 

A  MOST  remarkable  instance  of  fruit  gathered  after  many 
years,. —  furth-er  particulars  of  which  are  given  in  another 
place,  —  occurred  in  the  island  of  Tahiti,  under  the  labors 
of  the  London  Missionary'-  Society.  The  king,  Pomare,  and 
a  few  of  his  subjects,  had  embraced  Christianity,  but  they 
were  sorely  persecuted  by  subordinate  chiefs,  who  made  a 
war  upon  the  king,  backed  by  an  idolatrous  multitude.  Po- 
mare and  his  friends  gained  a  complete  victory  in  an  obsti- 
nate engagement ;  and,  after  the  battle,  the  king  directed  a 
number  of  his  people  to  proceed  to  the  temple  in  which  Oro, 
the  great  national  idol,  was  deposited,  and  to  destroy  the 
temple,  altar,  idols,  and  every  vestige  of  idolatry.  This 
order  was  executed  to  the  letter,  and  in  a  short  time  Pomare 
M'as  by  universal  consent  restored  to  supreme  authority  in 
his  dominions.  He  had  spared  all  his  conquered  subjects 
in  the  late  battle,  which  was  a  new  thing ;  and  which  led 
them  to  inquire,  "  Where  can  the  king  have  imbibed  these 
new  principles  of  forbearance  and  humanity  ?  "  They  were 
so  much  impressed  with  this  strange  exhibition  of  mercy, 
that  they  determined  to  embrace  the  new  religion  them- 
selves. And  now,  of  their  own  accord,  they  proceeded  to 
the  work  of  exterminating  idolatry.  The  fimily  and  district 
temples  and  altars,  as  well  as  those  which  were  national, 
were  demolished,  the  idols  destroyed  by  the  very  men  who 
had  so  lately  fought*  in  their  defence,  and  in  a  short  time 
there  was  not  one  professed  idolater  remaining.  The  peo- 
ple earnestly  invited  the  missionaries  to  come  and  instruct 
them  in  the  Christian  religion  ;  schools  were  established, 
houses  of  public  worship  erected,  and  the  Sabbath  was 
observed  as  a  divine  institution.  The  missionaries,  over- 
come with  joy,  hastened  to  give  thanks  to  God,  with  feel- 


284  BREAD  UPON  THE  WATERS. 

ings  which  could  not  be  described.  The  journalist  of  those 
remarkable  events  says  :  "In  that  one  year  the  missionaries 
reaped  the  harvest  of  sixteen  laborious  seed-times,  sixteen 
dreary  and  anxious  winters,  and  sixteen  unproductive  sum- 
mers. Aged  priests  and  warriors  with  their  spelling-books 
in  their  hands,  might  be  seen  sitting  on  the  benches  in  the 
schools,  by  the  side  of  some  smiling  little  boy  or  girl,  by 
whom  they  were  now  taught  the  use  of  letters.  Others 
might  be  seen  employed  in  putting  down  the  houses  of  their 
idols,  and  erecting  temples  of  the  Prince  of  peace,  working 
in  companionship  and  harmony  with  those  whom  they  had 
so  recently  met  on  the  field  of  battle."  —  South  Sea  Missions, 
p.  152. 

DK.  JUDSON'S  FAITH. 

Dr.  Judson  was  at  his  station  six  years  before  he  baptized 
a  single  convert.  After  three  of  these  years  had  elapsed,  he 
was  asked,  in  view  of  the  little  apparent  progress  he  had 
made,  what  evidence  he  had  of  ultimate  success.  "  As 
much,"  he  replied,  "  as  that  there  is  a  God  who  will  fulfil 
his  promises."  This  faith  was  not  unrewarded.  Thirty-one 
years  after  his  first  baptism,  seventy  churches  had  been 
formed  in  his  field  of  labor,  averaging  one  hundred  members 
each.  —  Jour,  of  Miss.,  July,  1851. 

THE    T"WENTY   POUNDS. 

There  lived  in  England  a  widow,  who  was  the  mother  of 
two  sons.  They  were  wayward,  disobedient  and  profligate. 
Her  income  was  barely  sufficient  for  the  necessities  of  life, 
and  the  expensive  habits  of  her  sons  threatened  her  with 
penury  and  want.  Fearing  that  slie  should  be  reduced  to 
extremities,  and  unable  to  aid  the  cause  of  missions,  she 
resolved,  while  she  could,  to  make  a  contribution  of  twenty 
pounds  to  that  object.  Iler  friends  remonstrated,  and 
painted  in  lively  colors  her  gloomy  prospects,  but  her  pur- 
pose was  formed,  and  speedily  executed.  The  twenty 
pounds  were  paid  to  the  treasurer,  and  her  heart  was  at 
rest.  Meantime,  the  sons  proceeded  in  their  vice,  from  bad 
to  worse,  till  one  of  them  enlisted  in  the  army,  and  Avas 
stationed  in  Bengal.  Not  long  after  his  arrival  in  the  East 
Indies,  this  prodigal  was  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge 
of  the  truth,  and  by  one  of  the  Baptist  missionaries,  either 
at  Serampore  or  Calcutta,  was  baptized,  admitted  to  the 
church,  and   soon  called  to  the   Gospel  ministry!     His  dis- 


THE  MORAVIANS  AT  THE  CAPE.  285 

charge  from  the  army  was  procured,  and  he  was  associated 
with  tlie  missionary  band,  and  labored  with  them  in  the 
Gospel.  His  health  failing,  he  returned  to  England,  and 
there  the  writer  of  this  sketch  had  the  unspeakable  pleasure 
of  pleading  the  cause  of  missions  on  the  same  platform  with 
him.  But  the  widow,  the  mother,  —  what  of  her  ?  Had 
she  sunk  under  the  pressure  of  her  manifold  troubles  into 
the  grave,  where  the  weary  are  at  rest  ?  0,  no.  She  had 
sown  liberally,  and  she  was  privileged  to  reap  liberally. 
For  a  time  every  mail  that  arrived  from  India  filled  her 
with  apprehension  and  dread.  She  feared  that  her  unhappy 
son  might  be  hurried  on  by  his  passions  to  the  perpetration 
of  some  crime  that  would  disgrace  and  ruin  him.  At  length 
a  letter  arrived  of  unusual  size.  She  opened  it  with  a  trem- 
bling hand.  Her  eyes  ran  rapidly  over  its  contents.  She 
had  scarcely  finished  it,  when,  with  streaming  eyes  and 
clasped  hand,  she  fell  upon  her  knees,  exclaiming,  "  0,  the 
TWENTY  POUNDS  !  0,  THE  TWENTY  POUNDS  !  "  Unable  to  Con- 
tain the  joy  that  filled  her  heart,  she  called  her  friends  and 
neighbors  together,  and  bid  them  rejoice  with  her,  for  the 
dead  was  restored  to  life,  the  lost  was  found.  Not  long 
after  the  intelligence  of  her  son's  conversion,  she  was  per- 
mitted to  embrace  him  ;  and,  as  her  arms  were  thrown  about 
his  neck,  she  sobbed  aloud,  "  0,  the  twenty  pounds  !  0, 
THE  twenty  pounds  !  "  —  Aiii.  Miss.,  vol.  IV.,  p.  26. 

THE  MOBAVIANS   AT  THE  CAPE. 

In  1736,  a  mission  was  commenced  by  the  Moravians, 
among  the  Hottentots,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  sev- 
eral of  the  natives  were  hopefully  converted,  and  baptized. 
But  the  government  interposed  serious  obstacles,  and  the 
work  was  abandoned  in  1V43,  after  a  continuance  of  seven 
years.  In  1791,  nearly  half  a  century  having  elapsed,  the 
mission  at  the  Cape  was  resumed  by  three  Moravian  breth- 
ren. Soon  after  entering  upon  their  work,  they  were  grat- 
ified and  surprised  to  find  some  of  the  children  of  those  who 
had  been  baptized  by  Mr.  Schmidt,  the  first  missionary,  and 
these  received  the  missionaries  with  joy,  and  erected  huts 
near  the  cottage  of  their  teachers.  Others  followed,  and 
within  a  year  manj'  had  been  baptized,  and  a  large  congre- 
gation gathered  ;  thus  demonstrating  tliat  the  labors  of  Mr. 
Schmidt,  though  long  forgotten  by  the  world,  were  the 
foundation  of  a  great  and  glorious  work.  —  3Ii-'<s.  Her., 
February,  1838. 


286  BREAD   UPON   THE  WATEES. 

SEED  BURIED  TVSTENTY  YEARS. 

About  tlie  year  1830,  an  Armenian,  residing  near  the 
Black  Sea,  went  on  a  pilgrimage,  with  thousands  of  others, 
to  Jerusalem.  There  he  met  a  man  by  the  name  of  Yakob 
Agha,  who  had  been  taught  by  the  missionaries,  and  had 
embraced  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  From  him  the  Arme- 
nian pilgrim  gained  some  knowledge  of  the  better  way  ; 
and,  on  returning  to  his  home,  instead  of  carrying  with  him 
crosses,  beads,  relics,  &c.,  as  was  customaiy,  he  carried 
evangelical  tracts  and  portions  of  the  word  of  God.  These 
he  continued  to  study,  especially  the  Bible  ;  but  he  had  no 
one  to  teach  him,  or  even  to  sympathize  with  him  in  his 
newly  awakened  desire  for  the  truth.  In  this  coui'se  of 
solitary  study  and  pursuit  of  truth  he  persevered  more  than 
iwenly  years,  before  he  saw  the  face  of  a  missionary.  In  this 
condition  ho  was  at  last  found  by  Mr.  Powers,  of  the  Amer- 
ican Board,  to  whom  his  history  was  related.  lie  had  once 
possessed  great  wealth,  but  long  continued  persecution  had 
despoiled  him  of  his  possessions,  and  left  him  destitute.  He 
had  borne  all  with  meekness,  and  his  case  shows  with  re- 
markable clearness,  not  only  the  immense  good  which  a 
tract  or  book  may  do,  but  also  that  the  good  results  may 
lie  hidden  from  human  observation  many  years,  and  at  last 
astonish  us  with  their  magnitude  and  value. — 3Iiss.  Her., 
1852,  p.  198. 

FRUITS   OF   ONE   GIFT. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Ward,  as  he  passed  through  a  village  oppo- 
site Calcutta,  left  at  a  native  shop  a  Bengalee  New  Testa- 
ment, that  it  might  be  read  by  any  who  chose  to  read  it  in 
the  village.  About  a  year  afterward,  three  or  four  of  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  inhabitants  went  to  Scrampore,  to 
inquire  further  respecting  the  contents  of  tlie  book  left  in 
their  possession.  The  result  was,  that  six  or  eight  of  them 
soon  made  a  public  profession  of  Christianity.  One  was  an 
old  man,  named  Juggernath,  who  had  long  been  a  devotee 
to  the  idi)l  of  that  name  in  Orissa,  had  made  many  pilgrim- 
ages thither,  and  liad  acquired  sucli  a  name  for  sanctity, 
that  a  rich  man  in  Orissa  was  said  to  have  ofJered  him  a 
pension  for  life,  on  condition  of  his  remaining  with  him. 
On  his  becoming  acquainted  with  the  New  Testament,  he 
first  hung  his  image  of  Juggernaut,  which  he  had  hitherto 
worshipped,  on  a  tree  in  his  garden,  and  at  length  cut  it  up 
to  boil  his  rice.     He  remained  steadfast  in  his  profession  of 


THE   PROFITS    OF   GIVING.  287 

Christianity  till  his  death,  Avhicli  happened  about  eight  j^ears 
after.  Two  others,  Kishnoo-das  and  Sebeck-ram,  published 
the  doctrines  of  Christianity  to  their  countrymen  in  the  most 
fearless  manner,  while  at  the  same  time  their  demeanor  was 
such  as  to  secure  universal  esteem.  Kishnoo-das  died  re- 
joicing in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Redeemer  of  men  ;  and 
Sebeck-ram  was  laboring,  at  the  date  of  this  narrative,  in 
and  about  Calcutta,  explaining-  the  Scriptures  to  many  who 
resorted  to  him.  —  Miss.  Her. ,'1828,  p.  292. 

SOVEREIGNTY  OF  GRACE. 

In  1830,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Baker  sailed  from  Massa- 
chusetts, on  a  whaling  voyage.  He  had  known  and  heard 
the  Gospel  from  a  child,  but  had  resisted  its  power.  lie 
touched  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  there  fell  into  the 
society  of  the  missionaries  of  the  American  Board,  and 
heard  them  preach.  He  went  on  his  voyage,  and  subse- 
quently stopped  at  Bombay.  The  truth  which  he  had  heard 
at  the  islands  had  wrought  upon  his  mind  ;  and  while  at 
Bombay  he  sought  again  the  missionaries,  gave  decided 
evidence  of  being  a  converted  man,  and  was  received  to  the 
mission  church  in  that  place. 

Such  is  one  of  the  sovereign  ways  in  which  the  grace  of 
God  operates.  Here  was  a  man,  born  and  educated  in  one 
of  the  most  eidightened  Christian  communities  on  earth, 
commencing  a  voyage  round  the  globe,  still  unregenerate, 
touching  at  an  island  remote  from  his  native  land,  and  (here 
first  getting  abiding  convictions  of  the  truth.  Then,  at  an 
opposite  point  of  the  globe,  these  convictions  are  revealed 
to  another  set  of  missionaries,  a  change  of  heart  is  mani- 
fested, and  Christ  and  his  cause  are  openly  espoused.  Who 
can  tell  when  or  how  God  will  bless  his  word  ?  "  In  the 
morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening  withhold  not 
thine  hand,  for  thou  knowest  not  which  shall  prosper,  this 
or  that."— i^ep.  of  Am.  Board,  1831,  p.  25. 

THE  PROFITS  OF  GIVING. 

When  the  Sandwich  Islands'  mission  was  started,  a  wheel- 
wright in  Massachusetts  was  called  upon  to  contribute  for  it, 
and  was  told  that  his  quota  would  be  a  dollar.  lie  paid  it, 
but  with  the  feeling  that  the  dollar  was  thrown  away. 
Many  years  after,  in  1850,  this  same  reluctant  and  scep- 
tical giver  received  an  order  from  the   Sandwich   Islands 


288  BREAD    UPON  THE   WATERS. 

for  twenty  carls,  at  ninety  dollars  apiece,  thus  getting,  as 
one  of  the  temporal  benefits  of  that  mission,  a  cash  job  of 
eighteen  hundred  dollars.  —  Jour,  of  Miss.,  Feb.,  1851. 

MR.  SCHAUFFLER  AND  HIS  BOOKS. 

A  striking  illustration  of  the  necessity  of  working  by  faith, 
is  given  by  Mr.  SchauflQer,  missionary  to  the  Jews.  Pass- 
ing through  Odessa,  a  Russian  port  on  the  Black  Sea,  in 
1832,  Mr.  Schauflfler  found  there  some  hundreds  of  Hebrew 
and  Hebrew-German  New  Testaments,  and  some  thousands 
of  religious  tracts  in  the  same  language.  These  had  been, 
ten  years  before,  intrusted  to  a  person  for  distribution 
among  the  Jews  in  that  quarter.  But  in  consequence  of  the 
removal  of  that  person,  and  the  misconduct  of  another,  they 
never  reached  their  destination,  and  Mr.  Schauflfler  found 
the  books  in  the  hands  of  an  auctioneer,  of  whom  he  pur- 
chased them  for  a  pittance.  At  the  time  he  bought  them, 
some  Jews  were  trying  to  obtain  them,  with  the  design  of 
committing  them  to  the  flames.  Mr.  Schauflfler  preserved 
these  treasures  against  the  time  when  they  should  be  spe- 
cially needed,  and  in  1842  he  committed  them  to  the  hands 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Melville,  of  Odessa,  for  distribution,  there  being 
an  extraordinary  spirit  of  inquiry  among  the  Jews  there  at 
that  time.  Upon  this  Mr.  Schauflfler  remarks  :  "  Twenty 
years  these  books  were  preserved,  and  rescued  and  kept 
against  the  day  when  they  should  be  gladly  received  !  —  a 
striking  proof  of  our  duty  and  privilege  to  walk  and  work  by 
faith,  and  to  sow  in  hope,  with  the  unshaken  expectation 
that  the  harvest  will  and  must  come." — 3Iiss.  Her.,  184:3, 
p.  ItO. 

A  HIDDEN"  GEM  DISCOVERED. 

In  the  Quarterly  Papers  of  the  English  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Society,  for  April,  1829,  is  given  the  ibllowing  narrative  : 
A  gentleman  who  was  spending  a  few  weeks  in  the  city  of 
Shiraz,  in  Persia,  was  invited  to  a  party,  when  the  conver- 
sation turned  upon  the  subject  of  religion,  and  he  was 
called  upon  to  give  an  account  of  the  Christian  faith. 
Among  the  guests  was  a  person  who  took  but  little  part  in 
the  conversation,  and  who  appeared  to  be  intimate  with 
none  but  the  master  of  the  house.  Says  the  gentleman  in 
question,  "He  watched  every  word  that  I  uttered,  and 
once,  when  I  expressed  myself  with  some  levity,  he  fixed 
his  eyes  upon  me  with  such  a  peculiar  expression  of  sur- 


A   HIDDEN   GEM   DISCOVERED,  289 

prise  and  reproof,  that  I  was  struck  to  the  very  soul,  and 
felt  a  straiif^e,  mysterious  wonder  who  this  person  could  be. 
I  asked  privately,  one  of  the  party,  who  told  me  he  had 
been  educated  for  a  moolah  (Mohammedan  priest)  but  had 
never  officiated  ;  that  he  was  a  man  of  considerable  leai-n- 
ing',  and  much  respected,  but  lived  retired,  and  seldom 
visited  his  most  intimate  friend.  He  had  come  on  this 
occasion,  expecting  to  meet  an  Englishman,  as  he  was 
much  attached  to  the  English  nation,  and  had  studied  their 
language  and  learning.  This  increased  my  curiosity,  and  I 
determined  to  call  on  Mahommed  Rahem  (for  that  was  his 
name)  which  I  did  a  few  days  afterward,  and  found  him 
reading  a  volume  of  Cowper's  poems.  This  circumstance 
led  to  an  immediate  discussion  of  the  merits  of  English  poe- 
try, and  European  literature  in  general.  I  was  perfectly  as- 
tonished at  the  clear  and  accurate  conceptions  he  had  formed 
upon  these  subjects,  and  at  the  precision  with  which  he 
expressed  himself  in  English."  The  narrative  goes  on  to 
say,  that  the  conversation  continued  for  two  hours,  and 
finally  turned  upon  the  subject  of  religion,  when,  upon 
inquiry,  Rahem  avowed  himself  a  Christian.  The  narrator 
says,  "  I  should  vainly  endeavor  to  describe  the  astonish- 
ment which  seized  me  at  this  declaration."  It  soon  ap- 
peared that  the  English  gentleman  had  possessed  himself  of 
a  secret  which  had  hitherto  been  kept  concealed,  except 
from  a  few  who  participated  in  the  sentiments  of  the  Per- 
sian Christian.  "  And  whence  came  this  happy  change  ?  " 
he  inquired.     The  answer  was  readily  given  as  follows  : 

"  In  the  year  1823  there  came  to  this  city  an  English- 
man, who  taught  the  religion  of  Christ  with  a  boldness 
hitherto  unparalleled  in  Persia,  in  the  midst  of  much  scorn 
and  ill-treatment  from  our  moolahs,  as  well  as  from  the  rab- 
ble. He  was  a  beardless  youth,  and  evidently  enfeebled  by 
disease.  He  dwelt  among  us  for  more  than  a  year.  I 
was  then  a  decided  enemy  to  Infidels,  as  the  Christians  are 
termed  by  the  followers  of  Mohammed,  and  I  visited  this 
teacher  of  the  despised  sect,  with  the  declared  object  of 
treating  him  with  scorn,  and  exposing  his  doctrines  to  con- 
tempt. Although  I  persevered  for  some  time  in  this  beha- 
vior towards  him,  I  found  that  every  interview  not  only 
increased  my  respect  for  the  individual,  but  diminished  my 
confidence  in  the  faith  in  which  I  was  educated.  His 
extreme  forbearance  towards  the  violence  of  his  opponents, 
the  calm  and  yet  convincing  manner  in  which  he  expressed 
25 


290  BREAD    UPON  THE   WATERS. 

the  fallacies  and  sophistries  by  which  he  was  assailed,  for 
he  spoke  Persian  excellently,  gradually  inclined  me  to  listen 
to  his  arguments,  to  inquire  dispassionately  into  the  subject 
of  them,  and  finally  to  read  a  tract  which  he  had  written  in 
reply  to  a  defence  of  Islamism  by  our  chief  moolahs.  Need 
I  detain  you  longer  ?  The  result  of  mj^  examination  was, 
a  conviction  that  the  young  disputant  was  right.  Shame, 
or  rather  fear,  withheld  me  from  avowing  this  opinion.  I 
even  avoided  the  society  of  the  Christian  teacher,  though 
he  remained  in  the  city  so  long.  Just  before  he  quitted 
Shiraz,  I  could  not  refrain  from  paying  him  a  farewell  visit. 
0,ur  conversation  —  the  memory  of  it  will  never  fade  from 
the  tablet  of  my  mind  —  sealed  my  conversion.  lie  gave 
me  a  book  ;  it  has  ever  been  my  constant  companion  ;  the 
study  of  it  has  formed  my  most  delightful  occupation  ;  its 
contents  have  often  consoled  me." 

"  Upon  this,"  says  the  English  narrator,  "  he  put  into  my 
hands  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament  in  Persian,  on  one 
of  the  blank  leaves  of  which  was  written,  '  There  is  joy  in 
heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth.'  —  Henry  Martyn." 

Thus  multitudes  are  probably  saved  by  the  labors  of 
Christian  missionaries,  of  whom  little  or  nothing  is  known 
in  this  world. 

THE  CHINESE  CONVICTS. 

Mr.  Read,  missionary  of  the  American  Board  at  Ahmed- 
nugger,  visited  some  Chinese  convicts,  who  were  confined 
as  state  prisoners  on  the  hills  a  little  distant.  But  he  was 
ignorant  of  their  language,  and  could  not  converse  with 
them.  One  day,  soon  after,  six  of  these  convicts  sent  a 
Hindoo  sepoy,  their  keeper,  to  Mr.  Read,  to  say  that  they 
wished  to  be  baptized  and  become  Christians.  Mr.  Read 
visited  them  again,  and  conversed  Avith  them  through  an 
interpreter,  and  found  that  they  were  really  anxious  to  be 
baptized,  though  they  did  not  fully  understand  the  nature 
of  Christianity.  At  a  subsequent  visit,  he  inquired  how 
many  of  them  could  read,  and  whether  they  had  any  books. 
They  replied  that  there  were  a  number  of  readers  among 
them,  and  that  they  had  one  book,  which  one  of  them  said 
he  received  from  "that  good  man.  Dr.  Morrison,  of  Can- 
ton." This  book  proved  to  be  a  h-acf,  which  Dr.  Morrison 
gave  to  this  man  in  Canton.  This  tract  was  carefully  pre- 
served by  the  recipient  during  three  or  four  j'ears,  and 
when,  with  twenty  others,  he  was  transported  to  the  west- 


god's  hand  in  the  south  sea  islands.        291 

ern  part  of  Hindoostan,  for  some  public  offence,  the  tract 
was  carried  with  him,  and  became  the  means  of  Christian 
instruction  to  the  whole  company.  They  received  other 
books,  applied  themselves  to  the  study  of  the  Ilindoos- 
tanee  language,  and  Mr.  Head  had  no  reason  to  doubt  the 
sincerity  of  their  desire  to  embrace  Christianity.  What 
other  good  may  have  resulted  from  this  single  tract,  on  the 
restoration  of  these  Chinese  Chi'istians  to  their  native 
country,  is  known  only  to  Him  who  hath  said,  "  Cast  thy 
bread  upon  the  waters,  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many 
days."  —  iliiss.  Her.,  Feb.  and  March,  1835. 

SEED-TIME  AND  HARVEST. 

The  first  missionaries  were  sent  to  New  Zealand  in  1814, 
and  the  first  native  was  not  converted  till  1825,  after  the 
labors  of  eleven  years,  and  the  second  was  two  years  later, 
in  1827.  This  was  the  seed-time  ;  now  came  the  harvest. 
In  1845  the  communicants  at  the  East  Cape  numbered 
1,484  ;  and,  in  1849,  they  amounted  to  2,893.  As  to  the 
temporal  benefits  of  this  mission,  an  eye-witness  writes  : 
"  Nine  years  ago  there  was  not,  that  I  know  of,  a  grain  of 
wheat  grown  in  this  district  (the  eastern)  ;  now,  upon  a 
moderate  calculation,  there  cannot  be  less  than  three  thou- 
sand acres  grown  by  natives.  Nine  years  ago  there  was 
not  a  steel  mill  in  the  whole  range  of  my  journey ;  now  the 
natives  have  more  than  two  hundred  mills  among  them. 
Nine  years  ago  there  was  not  a  ship  belonging  to  a  native ; 
now  they  have  more  than  thirty  vessels,  of  from  ten  to 
thirty  tons'  burden,  which  they  have  purchased  at  a  cost  of 
little  less  than  eight  thousand  pounds.  Nine  years  ago 
they  had  neither  a  horse  nor  a  cow  amongst  them  ;  now 
they  have  a  number  of  both.  And  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  this  property  has  been  procured  hj  their  own 
industry  —  not  by  presents  made  to  them  by  the  government, 
or  by  any  other  parties." —  Jour,  of  Missions,  Nov.,  1851. 

GOD'S  HAND  IN   THE  SOUTH  SEA  ISLANDS. 

The  fathers  and  founders  of  the  London  Missionary  Soci- 
ety commenced  their  labors  in  the  South  Sea  Islands  on  a 
liberal  scale.  They  purchased  a  ship,  and  sent  out  twenty- 
five  missionaries,  to  commence  their  labors  simultaneously 
at  the  Marquesan,  Tahitian,  and  Friendly  Islands.  This 
vessel  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Wilson,  whose  history,  in 
this  connection,  deserves  special  notice.     lie  had  suflered 


292  BREAD  UPON  THE  WATERS. 

incredible  hardships  while  in  the  merchant  service  in  India, 
luiving  been  taken  by  the  French,  driven  on  foot  five  hun- 
dred miles,  naked,  bai"efoot,  and  wounded,  loaded  with 
irons,  and  thrown  into  a  horrible  prison  called  the  "  black 
liole,"  nearly  starved  to  death,  and  ranch  of  the  time 
chained  to  another  prisoner  ;  in  repeated  instances  the  pris- 
oner chained  to  his  arm  died,  and  the  corpse  was  removed, 
only  to  give  place  to  another  body  scarcely  alive,  —  and 
thus  he  survived  for  tiventy-two  months !  His  deliverance 
having  been  effected,  he  suffered  yet  other  perils  of  an 
appalling  nature  ;  but  without  any  recognition  of  God  or 
his  providence.  He  was,  through  all,  an  unconverted  man, 
and  an  infidel!  But,  in  spite  of  reverses,  he  had  acquired  a 
fortune,  and  had  returned  to  England,  determined  to  sit 
down  in  easy  contentment.  His  passage  from  India  to 
England  was  in  a  ship  with  a  Baptist  missionary,  Mr. 
Thomas,  who  had  frequent  discussions  with  him,  and  was 
led  to  remark  that  he  should  have  more  hope  of  converting 
the  Lascars  to  Christianity,  than  Capt.  Wilson.  At  length, 
however,  by  a  series  of  most  singular  providences,  he  was 
led  to  abandon  his  infidel  principles,  and  to  become  an 
eminent  and  consistent  Christian.  Subsequently  to  this, 
a  number  of  the  Evangelical  Uagazine  fell  in  his  way,  and 
as  it  happened  to  contain  an  article  on  some  scheme  for  a 
mission  to  the  South  Sea  Islands,  he  immediately  thought 
that,  possibly,  his  services  might  be  needed,  and,  if  so,  he 
would  give  up  his  comforts,  and  encounter  once  more  the 
stormy  ocean.  Thus  was  this  man  raised  up,  inured  to 
hardship,  and  converted  by  grace,  to  take  command  of  this 
most  important,  and  at  that  time  novel  and  hazardous 
undertaking. 

But  the  hand  of  God  is  still  further  visible  in  the  mission 
to  those  islands.  In  the  same  ship  Duff,  at  a  later  period, 
a  reinforcement  of  thirt^y  additional  laborers  went  to  these 
isles  of  the  sea.  But  reverses  came.  The  Duff  was  cap- 
tured by  a  Bonaparte  privateer,  the  property  of  some  of 
the  missions  was  destroj^ed,  several  missionaries  died,  and 
most  of  the  others,  after  suffering  incredible  privations, 
fled  to  New  South  Wales  ;  and  so  the  entire  enterprise,  at 
all  three  of  the  abovenamed  groups,  seemed  near  to  aban- 
donment and  utter  defeat. 

A  few  brethren  at  Tahiti,  however,  never  abandoned  their 
posts,  and  others  returned  after  a  while.  But,  worse  than 
all   their  other  trials,  they  seemed  to  be  laboring  in  vain. 


A   SEEIES   OF   FEUITS.  293 

For  sixteen  years,  notwithstanding-  untiring  zeal,  incessant 
journeys  and  fetigue,  and  faithful  conversations  and  preach- 
ing, no  spirit  of  inquiry  was  awakened,  not  a  conversion 
took  place,  war  continued  as  frequent  and  cruel  as  ever, 
and  idolatry  as  universal  and  abominable  !  The  heavens 
seemed  to  be  brass,  and  the  earth  iron.  At  length,  how- 
ever, God's  time  to  commence  the  work  of  conversion 
came  ;  and  he  commenced  it,  as  is  worthy  of  note,  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  secure  all  the  glory  to  himself  The  mission- 
aries, at  the  time  the  work  commenced,  were  driven  away 
from  the  island  of  Tahiti  by  war,  and  cut  off  from  all  com- 
munication with  it.  Two  native  servants,  formerly  in  the 
families  of  the  missionaries,  had  received,  unknown  to  them, 
some  favorable  impressions,  and  had  united  together  for 
jji'ayer.  To  these  some  other  natives  had  attached  them- 
selves, so  that,  on  the  return  of  the  missionaries  to  Tahiti, 
at  the  termination  of  the  war,  they  found  a  considerable 
number  of  "  pure  Aetna,"  or  praying  people  ;  and  they  had 
little  else  to  do  but  to  help  forward  the  work  which  God 
had  so  wonderfully  and  unexpectedly  commenced.  Another 
fact  demanding  observation  is,  that  the  directors  of  the 
society,  in  London,  seeing  that  so  little  could  be  done,  were 
on  the  point  of  abandoning  the  mission  ;  but  a  few  opposed 
the  measure,  enlarged  their  subscriptions,  and  one.  Rev. 
Matthew  Wilkes,  declared  that  he  "would  rather  sell  his 
garments  from  his  back  than  that  the  mission  should  be 
given  up  !  "  A  season  of  special  prayer  was  held,  letters 
of  encouragement  were  sent  to  the  missionaries,  and  while 
the  vessel  that  carried  these  letters  was  on  her  passage  to 
Tahiti,  another  vessel  was  conveying  to  EngUmd  the  glo- 
rious news  of  God's  work,  the  overthrow  of  idolatry  in  the 
island,  and,  as  a  pledge  of  this,  having  on  board  the  rejected 
idols  of  the  people  !  —  Williams's  Missionary  Enterprises  in 
South  Sea  Islands,  p.  33. 

A    SERIES    OF  FRUITS. 

Rev.  Mr.  Winslow,  of  Madras,  mentions  in  a  letter  the 
following  striking  and  encouraging  facts  :  "  About  thirty 
years  ago,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor,  of  Belgaum,  India,  taught 
a  lad  who  came  to  his  school  to  read  English,  and  encour- 
aged him  to  read  the  Bible  in  English.  This  lad  became  a 
man,  and  obtained,  in  connection  with  the  police  or  court, 
some  goverrmient  office.  He  continued  to  read  his  Bible, 
and  taught  his  children,  even  his  eldest  daughter,  to  do  the 
26* 


294  BEEAD   UPON    THE   WATERS. 

same.  This  daughter,  from  reading  the  Bible,  became  a 
believer  in  it.  A  young  man,  who  was  for  a  time  educated 
in  the  Free  Church  school  at  Madras,  but  was  removed  by 
his  friends  through  fear  that  he  would  become  a  Christian, 
went  to  different  parts  of  the  country,  and  at  length  to 
Belgaum.  He  had  before  some  religious  impressions, 
which  were  there  revived.  He  became  acquainted  with  tlie 
girl  just  mentioned,  aud  married  her.  The  next  step  was 
for  them  both  to  avow  themselves  Christians.  The  father 
of  the  girl  at  first  opposed  them,  but  could  not  avoid  seeing 
that  it  was  the  proper  fruit  of  his  own  teaching.  The 
young  couple,  to  avoid  persecution,  came  to  Madras,  where 
they  now  are.  A  younger  brother  followed  them,  resolved 
to  forsake  all  to  become  a  Christian.  He  and  another  per- 
son were  baptized  at  the  Free  Church,  the  last  Sabbath  but 
one.  The  father,  it  is  said,  is  inquiring."  — Jour,  of  Miss., 
Aug.,  1850. 

U]SrLOOKED-FOR    TESTIMONY. 

While  Rev.  Messrs.  Clarkson  and  others,  of  the  Gnzeratt 
mission,  India,  were  making  an  extensive  tour  in  the  sur- 
rounding districts,  they,  on  one  occasion,  after  preaching 
to  a  large  crowd  of  people,  were  visited  in  their  tent  by  a 
Sadhu,  who  volunteered  his  testimony  to  the  truth  of  what 
had  been  said.  Mr.  Clarkson  was  much  surprised,  and 
asked  him  whence  he  had  obtained  his  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel.  He  answered,  "  From  a  book  received  years  ago 
in  the  Broach  district."  As  he  left,  he  whispered  to  the 
missionary,  "  The  new  birth  is  of  the  Spirit,  and  not  of  the 
flesh,"  referring  to  a  tract  he  had  read  on  the  new  birth. 
Mr.  Clarkson  very  forcibly'-  adds,  "  These  scattered  seeds  of 
divine  knowledge,  who  shall  say  ivhere  they  may  not  some 
day  germinate  ?  these  scattered  principles  of  truth,  who 
shall  say  ivhea  they  may  not  be  quickened  by  the  life-giving 
Spirit  ?  " 

KEMNANTS  OP  BRAINARD'S  FLOCK. 

Rev.  Mr.  Byiiigton,  in  a  letter  respecting  Indians  west 
of  Missouri,  in  1834,  says:  "I  have,  here  in  this  part  of 
the  world,  found  some  of  the  children  of  David  Brainard's 
church-members.  My  heart  has  been  so  full  ever  since  I 
found  them,  that  I  have  hardly  thought  of  anything  else." 
Mr.  B.  proceeds  to  describe  his  meeting  with  an  old  Indian 
woman,  who  spoke  good  English.     On  inquiring  her  origin, 


SOWING  AND   REAPING.  295 

she  said  she  belonged  to  David  Brainard's  people.  At  her 
side  sat  her  sister,  also  a  member  of  the  chureh,  and  both 
could  read  their  Bibles,  which  they  had  kept  through  all 
their  wanderings.  Their  father,  and  mother,  and  grand- 
mother, they  said,  were  members  of  David  Brainard's 
church.  Mr.  Byington  asked  them  what  their  grandmother 
said  about  Brainard.  They  replied,  "  She  said  he  was  a 
young  man  ;  he  was  a  lovely  man  ;  he  was  a  staff";  he  was 
a  staff  to  walk  with.  lie  went  about  from  house  to  house 
to  talk  about  religion  ;  that  was  his  way  ;  "  and  much  more 
to  the  same  effect.  Mr.  Byington  adds  :  "  I  seemed  to  be 
nearer  to  Brainard  as  a  laborer  than  I  ever  expected  to  be. 
I  had  often  inquired  for  the  remnants  of  his  flock,  and  now 
I  saw  them.  Truly  my  heart  was  full." — Miss.  Herald 
December,  1834. 

POOD  FOR    FAITH. 

At  a  meeting  of  missionary  brethren  in  Constantinople, 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Goodell,  Mr.  Schauflfler  stated  that  a 
tract  had  been  published  in  Germany,  giving  an  account  of 
Dr.  Judson's  labors  at  Ava ;  that  this  tract  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  some  Jews,  and  had  been  the  means  of  their 
conversion  ;  that  it  had  reached  Trebizond,  where  a  Jew 
had  translated  it  for  the  Jews  of  that  place  ;  that  it  had 
awakened  a  deep  interest  among  them  ;  that  a  candid  spirit 
of  inquiry  had  been  manifested  ;  and  that  a  request  had 
been  made  for  a  missionary  to  be  sent  to  them  from  Con- 
stantinople. What  a  comment  on  the  word  of  inspiration, 
"  In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed  "  !  etc.  — llemoir  qfjudson, 
p.  36. 

SOWING  AND  HEAPING. 

"  There  was  a  period  in  my  ministrj'^,"  said  the  devoted 
Andrew  Fuller  to  a  friend,  "  marked  by  the  most  pointed, 
systematic  effort  to  comfort  my  serious  people  ;  but  the 
more  I  tried  to  comfort  them,  the  more  they  complained  of 
doubt  and  darkness.  I  knew  not  what  to  do,  nor  what  to 
think,  for  I  had  done  my  best  to  comfort  the  mourners  in 
Zion.  At  this  time  it  pleased  God  to  direct  my  attention 
to  the  claims  of  the  perishing  heathen  in  India.  I  felt  that 
we  had  been  living  for  ourselves,  and  not  caring  for  their 
souls.  I  spoke  as  I  felt.  My  serious  people  wondered  and 
wept  over  their  past  inattention  to  the  subject.  They  be- 
gan to  talk  about  a  Baptist  mission.  The  females,  especially, 
began  to  collect  money  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.     We 


296  BREAD  UPON  THE  WATERS. 

met  and  prayed  for  the  heathen  ;  met  and  considered  what 
could  be  done  amongst  ourselves  for  them  ;  met  and  did 
what  we  could.  And,  whilst  this  was  going  on,  the  lam- 
entation ceased.  The  sad  became  cheerful,  and  the  de- 
sponding calm.  No  one  complained  of  a  want  of  comfort. 
And  1,  instead  of  having  to  study  how  to  comfort  my  flock, 
was  myself  comforted  by  them.  They  were  drawn  out  of 
themselves.  That  was  the  real  secret.  God  blessed  them, 
while  they  tried  to  be  a  blessing." — Am.  Hiss.,  vol.  iv.,  p.  "II. 

HALF  A  CENTURY'S    LABOR  IN"  INDIA. 

The  modern  era  of  missions  in  India  begins  with  the  found- 
ing of  the  Serampore  Baptist  Mission  in  l'r99.  Within  a 
few  years  stations  were  established  in  Calcutta,  Madras, 
Bombay,  and  began  to  push  outward  into  all  the  Presiden- 
cies of  liindoostan.  The  beginnings  were  slow  but  sui-e. 
One  societj'',  then  another- — one  missionary,  then  another, 
landed  on  the  coast,  and  took  up  their  posts  on  the  great 
battle-field  of  idolatry.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1850, —  fifty 
years  after  the  first  blow  was  struck, —  the  stations  at  which 
the  Gospel  was  preached  were  two  hundred  and  sixty  in  num- 
ber, and  engaged  the  services  of  four  hundred  and  three  mis- 
sionaries, belonging  to  twenty-two  missionary  societies. 
These  missionaries  had  founded  threehundred  and  nine  native 
churches,  containing  seventeen  thousand  three  hundred  mem- 
bers, or  communicants.  At  the  same  period  the  missiona- 
ries were  superintending  thirteen  hundred  and  forty-five  day- 
schools,  embracing  eighly-three  thousand  seven  hundred  hoys  ; 
seventy-three  boarding-schools,  containing  nineteen  hundred 
and  ninety  boys,  chiefly  Christian,  who  resided  upon  the  mis- 
sion premises ;  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  day- 
schools,  with  fourteen  thousand  boys  and  students,  receiving 
a  sound  scriptural  education,  through  the  medium  of  the 
English  language.  In  the  department  of  female  education, 
the  efforts  of  these  missionaries  cmbi'aced,  at  the  close  of 
the  fifty  years,  ninety-one  boarding-schools,  with  two  thou- 
sand four  hundred  girls,  taught  in  the  vernacular  languages  ; 
and  three  hundred  and  fifty-four  day-schools,  with  eleven 
thousand  five  hundred  girls.  The  Bible  had  been  translated 
into  ten  of  the  languages  of  liindoostan,  not  reckoning  the 
Serampore  versions  ;  and  twenty-five  printing  establishments 
were  maintained  for  the  creation  of  a  Christian  literature 
for  India. 

If  those  who,  in  the  pride  of  worldly  wisdom,  mocked  and 


TWENTY   YEARS   IN   ARMENIA.  297 

derided  the  Baptist  brethren  in  1T99,  could  witness  the  pres- 
ent gigantic  operations,  before  which  idols,  shasters  and 
superstitions,  are  fast  retreating,  they  would  be  constrained 
to  give  glory  to  God,  even  though  they  themselves  should 
wonder  and  perish.  — Lon.  3Ess.  Chron.,  1852,  p.  31. 

TWENTY  YEAKS  IN"  ARMENIA. 

In  1853,  Rev.  Mr.  Powers,  of  the  mission  to  the  Arme- 
nians, wrote:  "The  reformation  now  in  progress  among 
the  Armenians  maybe  dated  back  to  1833 — just  twenty 
years  ago.  At  that  time  the  whole  mission  to  the  Arme- 
nians consisted  of  two  families,  occupying  a  single  house  on 
the  shores  of  the  Bosphorus  ;  now  the  whole  force  of  the 
mission,  consisting  of  American  missionaries,  native  preach- 
ers, and  helpers,  amounts  to  over  one  hundred  persons, 
occupying  some  twenty  different  posts. 

"Then,  the  missionary  was  without  friends,  and  almost 
universally  looked  upon  as  an  enemy  to  the  truth,  an  infidel, 
a  pest,  whose  influence  was  evil  and  only  evil ;  now,  he  is 
surrounded  by  friends,  and  his  character  is  no  longer 
assailed. 

"  Then,  the  missionary  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  a 
moral  waste,  surrounded  by  those  who,  for  their  vices,  were 
snares  and  traps  unto  him  ;  now,  a  little  garden  is  springing 
up  under  his  fostering  care,  adorned  with  plants  of  right- 
eousness. 

"  Then,  not  an  individual  was  known  in  whose  piety  the 
missionary  had  sufficient  confidence  to  invite  him  to  the 
Lord's  table  ;  now,  there  are  fifteen  regularly  organized 
churches,  with  three  hundred  and  fifty-one  communicants. 

"Then,  the  first  formal  sermon  had  not  been  preached. 
It  was  not  till  five  years  afterwards,  in  1838,  that,  with  all 
quietness  and  avoidance  of  publicity,  in  an  upper  cliamber, 
the  first  regular  and  formal  preaching  service  in  either  of 
the  languages  spoken  by  Armenians  was  commenced.  Now, 
no  less  than  fifteen  chapels  are  open  every  Lord's  day, 
where  the  Gospel  is  preached  with  the  same  formality  and 
fearlessness  as  in  more  favored  lands. 

"Then,  there  was  no  toleration  for  Protestantism;  and 
some  of  us  will  never  forget  the  extreme  delicacy  of  our 
position  as  Protestant  missionaries,  the  jealousy  with  which 
our  movements  were  watched,  the  efiorts  that  were  made 
for  our  expulsion  from  the  country,  and  the  embarrassments 
and  trials  we  encountered  for  years  while  groping  our  way 


298  BREAD  UPON  THE  WATERS. 

by  the  guidance  of  hints  and  cautions  ;  now,  the  Royal 
Charter  of  Rights,  securing  to  the  sultan's  subjects  the  free 
toleration  of  religious  opinions  and  worship,  places  us  and 
the  cause  of  truth  on  firm  vantage  ground. 

"  In  view  of  all  that  has  been  accomplished  in  this  dark 
land,  for  the  revival  of  a  pure  Christianity,  we  can  only  say, 
'  this  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes.'  " 
—  Jour,  o/ilfiss.,  1854,  p.  20. 


MYTHOLOGIES,  MAXIMS,   PROVERBS,  SAYINGS, 

ETC. 


HINDOO    SCIENCE. 


The  Hindoo  sacred  books  treat  not  only  of  religious  mat- 
ters, but  even  of  the  sciences.  Astronomy,  geography,  law, 
medicine,  &c.,  must  be  believed  in,  as  taught  in  the  shasters, 
or  Hindooism,  as  a  system  of  faith,  is  rejected.  The  follow- 
ing are  some  of  the  items  of  this  faith :  "  That  the  earth  is 
sustained  on  the  head  of  an  immense  serpent ;  that,  in  the 
centi'e  of  Jambudwipa  and  of  the  whole  earth.  Mount  Meru 
rises  to  the  height  of  84,000  yojanas,  or  673,000  miles,  that 
Jambudwipa  is  800,000  miles  wide,  and  that  it  is  surrounded 
by  seven  immense  seas  of  salt  water,  sugar-cane  juice,  ardent 
spirits,  milk,  &c.,  with  their  intervening  continents,  and  an 
immense  region  of  solid  gold  beyond ;  that  the  diameter  of 
the  earth's  circumference  is  some  4,000,000,000  miles,  or 
more  than  sufficient  to  fill  up  with  solid  matter  the  whole 
earth's  orbit ;  that  the  earth  is  stationary,  and  that  the  sun, 
moon,  and  planets,  revolve  around  it ;  that  the  sun  is 
800,000  miles  from  the  earth,  the  moon  double  that  distance, 
and  Mercury,  Jupiter,  &c.,  at  an  immense  distance  beyond." 
These,  and  a  thousand  other  things  equally  absurd,  are 
taught  in  the  Hindoo  sacred  books,  and  are  an  essential 
part  of  Hindoo2S??i.  Therefore,  when  the  missionaries  teach 
the  true  science  of  astronomy,  &c.,  they  assail  the  Hindoo 
religion,  and,  so  far  as  they  demonstrate  these  sciences  to 
the  intelligent  youth  of  India,  they  create  an  utter  contempt 
for  the  teachings  of  the  shasters,  and  a  rejection  of  the 
authority  of  these  pretended  revelations,  in  heart,  if  not  iu 
outward  form.  —  Miss.  3Iag.,  1852,  p.  154. 


300  MYTHOLOGIES,   MAXIMS,   ETC. 

HINDOO    HISTORY    OF    THE    CRBATIOTJ". 

As  a  missionary  in  Nagercoil,  India,  was  teaching  a  com- 
pany of  natives  concerning  the  great  truths  of  Christianity, 
a  man,  more  learned  than  the  rest,  went  and  brought  a 
cadjan  book  (one  of  the  sacred  books  of  the  Hindoos),  and 
read  the  first  part,  containing  the  history  of  the  formation 
of  the  world.  It  was  as  follows  :  "  God  Allah  took  upon 
himself  three  divinities,  intending  to  make  himself  known 
to  the  world.  Afterwards  he  took  upon  himself  six.  He 
made  the  earth  by  one  of  them  ;  by  another,  a  good  pearl ; 
by  another,  a  bottle  ;  by  another,  a  great  well,  which  has 
four  springs,  from  one  of  which  honey  had  sprung ;  from 
another,  milk  ;  from  another,  musk  ;  and,  from  another,  the 
good  water.  The  Allah  commanded  four  angels  to  keep 
that  well.  The  one  spring  was  about  50,000,000  of  miles 
far  off  from  the  other.  Afterwards  he  made  a  peacock,  and 
commanded  it  to  swallow  the  said  pearl ;  the  peacock  swal- 
lowed it.  God,  the  Allah,  made  a  tree  full  of  fruits  and  flow- 
ers, which  was  called  Agtho,  and  told  the  peacock  to  sit 
upon  that  tree,  asking,  '  What  do  you  want  ? '  The  peacock 
said,  '  I  want  fruit.'  He  gave  orders  to  the  peacock  to  eat 
the  fruit  only.  The  peacock,  having  eaten  the  fruit,  and 
asked  water  from  God  before  he  gave  it,  God  commanded 
the  peacock  to  wander  350,000,000  years,  because  he  did 
so."  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  yet  true,  that  men, 
yea,  a  whole  nation  of  men,  receive  such  absurd  stoi'ies  with 
implicit  confidence,  and  incorporate  them  with  their  religious 
faith.  — London  Miss.  Mag.,  1840,  p.  173. 

A    PERSIAN    SIMILE. 

"  Forgive  thine  enemies,  and  be  to  thy  bitterest  foe  like 
the  sisoo  tree,  which  perfumes  with  its  odors  the  axe  which 
brings  it  level  with  the  ground." 

^^s^ISDOM  OP  the  Malays. 

In  the  quarterly  paper  of  the  English  Baptist  mission- 
aries, at  Bencoolen,  among  the  Malays,  some  account  is 
given  of  a  curious  native  work,  called  "  The  Crown  of  all 
Kings."  In  point  of  style  and  morality,  it  is  said  to  be  the 
best  book  the  Malays  have  among  them.  The  following 
extracts,  furnished  by  the  missionaries,  will  show  that  this 
people,  though  heathen,  are  not  altogether  destitute  of 
wisdom.  Their  maxims  furnish  instruction  even  to  more 
enlightened  people. 


WISDOM   OF   THE   MALAYS.  301 

"  The  vehicle  of  human  life  never  stops  ;  it  is  always 
moving- ;  but  man  does  not  know  it.  Every  breath  of  man 
is  like  a  step  in  his  journey ;  every  day  is  like  passing-  a 
valley  ;  every  month  is  like  a  mile  ;  every  year  is  like  a 
league." 

"  Every  breath  that  is  emitted  from  the  body  of  man  is 
like  a  stone  broken  down  from  the  house  of  life,  for  every 
breath  diminishes  the  time  which  he  has  to  live.  By  another 
mode  of  reckoning,  every  breath  is  like  a  step,  by  which 
we  recede  further  from  the  world,  and  approach  nearer  to 
eternity." 

"  Some  wise  men  have  said,  this  world  is  like  a  dream, 
and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  are  like  persons  asleep  ; 
and  when  they  awake,  they  find  that  nothing  remains  of  all 
those  things  about  which  they  have  been  dreaming." 

"  Some  wise  men  have  said,  this  world  is  like  lightning ; 
as  soon  as  it  is  seen  it  disappears." 

"  Some  wise  men  have  said,  this  world  is  like  an  old 
woman  profusely  ornamented,  and  arrayed  in  beautifully 
colored  garments  ;  seen  at  a  distance  her  appearance  is  cap- 
tivating, and  those  who  do  not  know  her  are  enamored  with 
her,  but  those  who  know  her,  despise  her." 

"  Some  wise  men  have  said,  this  world  is  like  an  inn  on 
the  road,  with  two  doors  ;  those  who  come  to  this  inn  to- 
day, enter  at  one  door,  and  to-morrow,  when  they  leave,  go 
out  at  the  other." 

"  Some  wise  men  have  said,  this  world  is  like  an  elegantly 
built  house,  which  pleases  every  one  who  beholds  it.  It  is 
ornamented  with  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and 
adorned  with  carpets  and  hangings  ;  it  contains  an  abun- 
dance of  suitable  clothes,  and  is  supplied  with  thousands  of 
luxuries  for  eating  and  drinking.  The  owner  of  this  house 
is  a  rich,  liberal  nobleman.  Guests  are  continually  coming 
to  his  house,  which  is  full  of  most  valuable  treasures,  and 
the  most  pleasant  dainties.  Those  who  are  wise  and  pru- 
dent among  the  guests,  know  that  the  house  is  not  theirs, 
and  that  none  of  the  property  which  it  contains  is  theirs, 
and  they  are  only  guests,  who  are  not  to  remain  long,  but 
are  soon  to  leave  the  house,  without  being  permitted  to  take 
any  of  the  property  with  them  when  they  depart.  Now, 
these  wise  men,  by  the  favor  of  the  owner  of  the  house,  eat 
of  the  dainties  which  the  house  affords,  and  wear  the  clothes, 
and  also  take  with  them  such  a  portion  of  the  dainties  as 
they  need,  as  provisions  for  their  journey.  When  they 
26 


302  MYTHOLOGIES,    MAXIMS,    ETC. 

depart,  the  owner  of  the  house  shows  his  approbation  of 
their  conduct ;  he  is  pleased  with  them,  and  they  with  him, 
and  they  go  in  peace.  But  the  unwise,  ignorant,  and  fool- 
ish guests  think  that  the  house,  with  all  its  ornaments, 
property,  and  dainties,  has  been  given  to  them,  and  that 
they  shall  possess  the  house,  and  all  that  it  contains,  for- 
ever. They,  therefore,  sit  down  for  a  long  time  in  ignorance 
and  idleness,  without  eating  of  the  dainties  which  the  house 
affords,  or  putting  on  any  of  the  clothes,  as  they  are  allowed 
to  do  by  the  owner  of  the  house  ;  erroneously  thinking  that 
the  house  and  all  that  it  contains  are  theirs,  and  that  they 
can  do  with  them  as  they  please.  Now,  while  they  are 
living  in  this  house,  and  unwilling  to  leave  it,  those  who 
have  the  care  of  the  house  order  them  to  depart ;  but  they 
refuse,  and  when  they  are  not  allowed  to  remain,  and  force 
is  used  to  expel  them,  they  wish  to  take  with  them  all  the 
property  which  the  house  contains.  But  those  who  have 
the  charge  of  the  house  will  not  allow  them  to  take  any- 
thing ;  they  again  refuse  to  depart ;  and  all  present  laugh 
at  their  want  of  wisdom.  They  are  then  expelled  by  force, 
and,  having  no  means  of  helping  themselves,  they  leave  the 
house,  with  all  the  property  and  dainties  which  it  contains, 
with  sorrow  and  concern  ;  weeping  and  regretting  that  they 
did  neither  eat  of  the  dainties,  nor  take  with  them  any  pro- 
vision for  the  way.  The  owner  of  the  house  is  also  angry 
with  them,  for  their  folly  and  impudence,  and  the  fools 
depart,  hungry,  sick,  oppressed  with  a  thousand  griefs,  and 
quite  empty-handed  ;  not  being  able  to  take  with  them  any 
of  those  things  which  they  thought  their  own." —  Eng.  Bap. 
Miss.  Her.,  March,  1824. 

THE  DTAK  EELIGION". 

The  Dyaks  of  Borneo  have  a  belief  in  a  future  state,  and 
it  is  a  part  of  their  system  that  at  death,  and  on  the  passage 
into  the  other  world,  there  is  a  fiery  stream  to  be  crossed, 
over  which  are  two  bridges  ;  one  broad  and  spacious,  to  be 
used  by  tliose  Avho  are  free  from  sin,  the  other  extremely 
narrow,  or  rather  rising  up  to  a  sharp  edge,  over  which  the 
course  of  the  sinner  lies.  The  guards  on  this  side  demand 
of  every  passenger  whether  or  not  he  has  ever  been  guilty 
of  sjn.  Those  who  are  clear  are  then  allowed  to  pass  on  ; 
but  if  a  guilty  person  professes  innocence,  he  is  immediately 
seized  and  convicted  of  his  crimes,  and,  in  attempting  to 
pass  the  river  (on  the  thin-edged  bridge),  he  is  drawn  into 


SOUTH    SEA    ISLAND    SIMILES.  303 

the  stream  and  carried  away  by  the  fiery  element.  This, 
though  a  heathen  notion,  may  seem  to  illustrate  the  extreme 
folly  of  those  who,  taught  by  revelation,  attempt  to  go  to 
heaven  with  their  sins,  or  by  some  system  of  deception.  — 
J/^^■.^•.  Her.,  1844,  p.  318. 

A   HEATHEN'S    IDEA    OF   FATE. 

A  missionary  in  Southern  India  encountered  a  learned 
Brahmin,  when  a  discussion  commenced  about  the  worship 
of  idols.  The  Brahmin  defended  the  practice ;  and,  when 
driven  to  his  wit's  end,  took  shelter  behind  iron-handed 
necessity,  or  blind  destiny  ;  saying  that  Brahm  had  written 
all  his  actions  in  his  brain,  so  that  he  must  do  as  he  did, 
whether  he  would  or  not.  The  missionaiy  showed  him  the 
foolishness  of  this  idea,  and  asked  him  whether  he  would 
not  complain  if  he  were  to  give  him  a  good  beating,  or  if 
thieves  were  to  plunder  his  house.  "  0,  yes,  I  should," 
was  his  reply.  "  But,"  said  the  missionary,  "  how  could  I, 
or  others,  be  to  blame  for  such  treatment  of  you,  if  Brahm 
has  written  it  all  in  our  brains,  so  that  we  must  do  so 
whether  we  will  or  not  ?  "  —  "  0,"  said  he,  "  if  Brahm  has 
written  it  in  your  brains,  then  you  are  authorized  to  do  it ; 
but,"  continued  he,  "  Brahm  has  also  written  in  my  brain 
to  complain  about  you."  In  this  way  the  Brahmin  reasoned 
for  a  while  ;  but  w^as  effectually  silenced  by  the  reply  that 
if  Brahm  had  written  the  actions  of  the  thief,  the  robber, 
and  the  adulterer,  in  their  brains,  he  must,  of  course,  be  a 
very  wicked  god  himself,  and  not  at  all  worthy  to  be  wor- 
shipped, but  rather  to  be  despised  for  compelling  men  so  to 
act. 

Did  not  this  Brahmin  reason  as  sensibly  as  those  do,  who, 
with  the  Bible  in  their  hands,  so  interpret  the  divine  decrees, 
sovereignty,  &c.,  as  to  make  God  the  author  of  a  necessity, 
or  fate,  under  which  men  do  as  they  do  ?  and  is  not  this 
putting  the  God  of  Christianity  on  a  level  with  the  Brahm 
of  the  Hindoo? —  Church  3Iissionary  Record,  1834,  p.  68. 

SOUTH    SEA   ISLAND    SIMILES. 

The  South  Sea  Islanders  are  exceedingly  fond  of  the 
simile,  and  other  forms  of  illustration  ;  and  their  use  of  these 
is  often  very  forcible.  There  is  a  fish,  common  in  the 
tropics,  called  aumea,  which  is  remarkable  for  its  large 
mouth  and  open  gills.  By  the  natives  it  is  believed  the 
food  seized  by  the  former  passes  out  at  the  latter,  and  in 


304  MYTHOLOGIES,   MAXIMS,   ETC. 

allusion  to  this,  a  chief,  when  delivering  an  important  com- 
mission, would  say  to  the  hearer,  "Do  not  imitate  the 
aiimea  ; "  and,  when  exhorting  each  other  to  a  cordial  and 
profitable  reception  of  religious  truth,  they  would  fre- 
quently remark,  "  Do  not  let  our  reception  of  the  word  of 
life  resemble  the  eating  of  the  aumea,  but  let  it  sink  into 
the  heart." 

They  have  a  proverb,  the  literal  translation  of  which  is, 
"  The  roaring  of  the  sea,  and  the  listening  of  the  urchin,  or 
echini."  This  has  its  origin  in  the  fact  that,  for  several 
hours  before  a  storm,  a  hollow  roar  is  heard  upon  the  reef, 
when  the  sea-urchin,  or  echinus,  prepares  for  the  tempest 
by  liastening  to  a  place  of  security,  and  fixing  itself  so 
firmly  to  the  rock  that  the  bursting  billows  cannot  detach 
it.  The  saying  has  the  force  and  meaning  of  Solomon's 
proverb,  "  The  prudent  man  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth 
himself" 

A  current  expression  in  many  of  the  islands,  in  reference 
to  any  boast,  or  display,  is,  E  upaupa  tumu  ore  ia :  "  That 's 
a  splendid  thing  without  a  foundation."  —  Williams''s  Miss. 
Enter,  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  462. 

MUSSULMAN  FAITH. 

The  Mussulmen  have  a  great  feast,  at  which  they  sacrifice 
thousands  of  sheep,  believing  that  great  merit  is  attached 
to  such  an  offering.  In  one  of  their  sacred  books  is  the  fol- 
lowing sentence,  which  every  Mussulman  is  reqiiired  to 
believe,  namely :  "  That  there  is  a  bridge,  thinner  than  a 
hair,  and  sharper  than  a  sword,  extended  over  hell  ;  that 
all  the  people  must  pass  over  it ;  some  of  whom  go  as  quick 
as  lightning,  some  as  swiftly  as  a  horse  can  run,  some  at 
the  rate  of  a  horse  in  a  common  walk,  some  of  them  creep- 
ing along  very  slowly,  pressed  down  with  the  load  of  their 
sins  on  their  backs,  and  some  of  them  falling  and  sliding 
into  hell."  Many  of  the  Turks  believe  that,  if  they  make 
this  sacrifice,  they  can  pass  this  narrow  bridge  safely, 
mounted  on  the  victim  that  was  slain. — Missionary  Herald, 
Ap)ril,  1837. 

THE  NEW  ZEALANDERS'  IDEAS   OP  THE  EVIL  SPIRIT. 

The  ideas  of  the  New  Zealanders,  with  respect  to  Wiro, 
the  evil  spirit,  are,  in  some  respects,  in  accordance  with  the 
Satan  of  the  Scriptures.  They  say  he  is  a  liar,  and  the 
father  of  lies  ;  that  he  tempts  to  murder  and  cannibalism  ; 


IDEAS    OF    THE    DEVIL.  305 

urges  to  adultery  and  fornication  ;  incites  to  theft,  witch- 
craft, self-destruction,  and  every  description  of  crime  ;  and 
that  there  is  no  sin  but  what  is  put  into  the  heart  by  him  ; 
that  he  laughs  when  men  weep  ;  rejoices  when  they  are 
sorrowful ;  and  dances  when  they  are  on  the  way  to  war  ; 
that  blood  is  a  feast  in  which  he  delig-hts  ;  and  that,  as  he 
feeds  upon  the  souls  of  men,  so  has  he  taught  the  New 
Zealanders  to  feed  upon  their  bodies.  They  believe  that 
he  is  a  great  spirit,  everywhere  present,  and  at  all  times 
engaged  in  mischief;  that,  when  men  lie  down  to  sleep,  he 
hovers  round  their  pillow,  and  makes  them  dream  of  evil ; 
when  they  rise,  he  rises  too  ;  when  they  walk,  he  walks 
with  them.  If  they  go  upon  the  sea,  he  sits  upon  the  stern- 
post  of  the  canoes  ;  sings  their  songs,  joins  in  their  dances, 
chants  their  sacred  services  ;  and,  when  guests  are  invited, 
he  comes  unasked  and  unwelcome.  Tlris  is  the  evil  spirit, 
with  whom  they  believe  they  have  to  associate  forever  in 
the  Reinga  —  future  state  of  the  wicked. — Yates's  New  Zea- 
land, p.  145. 

MICE  IN   THE  MOOISr. 

Among  the  Dakota  Indians,  a  very  common,  if  not  uni- 
versal, opinion  in  reference  to  the  phases  of  the  moon,  is, 
that  a  great  number  of  very  small  mice  commence  nibbling 
on  the  full  moon,  and  continue  their  work  until  it  is  de- 
voured. Then  they  say,  "The  moon  is  dead," — Miss. 
Her.,  1839,  p.  60. 

PECULIAR    DEVIL. 

In  the  Bassa  country.  Western  Africa,  there  are  numerous 
"  devil-houses,"  where  sacrifices  are  ofiered  to  his  satanic 
majesty,  in  the  belief  that  he  is  all-powerful,  and  that  his 
wrath  must  be  appeased.  But  what  is  most  peculiar  is, 
that  these  evil  deities  are  numerous,  so  much  so  that  it  is  a 
common  belief  and  saying  that  "  every  (own  has  its  peculiar 
devil." 

IDEAS   OF  THE  DEVIL. 

In  the  island  of  Java  the  devil  is  an  object  of  constant 
dread,  and  their  superstitious  fears  are  carried  to  a  great 
extent.  On  being  asked  why  they  did  not  cut  a  certain  lot 
of  bamboos,  the  finest  anywhere  to  be  seen,  they  said, 
"  The  devil  is  in  them,  and,  if  we  cut  them,  he  will  come 
out  and  hurt  us."  When  a  house  is  on  fire,  they  bring  all 
26* 


306  MYTHOLOGIES,    MAXIMS,    ETC. 

the  looking-glasses  they  can,  and  hold  them  around  the 
building.  They  suppose  the  devil  has  done  the  mischief, 
and  that,  if  he  sees  his  face  in  a  looking-glass  he  will  be  so 
frightened  at  its  ugliness  as  to  fly  away.  So,  also,  at  the 
birth  of  an  infant,  looking-glasses  are  brought,  so  that  the 
devil,  seeing  himself,  will  flee  away,  and  not  hurt  the  child, 
—  3Iiss.  Her.,  1838,  p.  368. 

HINDOO    THEOLOGY. 

One  of  the  Hindoo  sacred  books  contains  a  long  list  of 
sins  and  their  punishment,  of  which  the  following  is  a  spec- 
imen :  "  He  who  eats  during  an  eclipse,  shall,  in  the  next 
state  of  existence,  be  afflicted  with  a  distressing  constitu- 
tional disease.  He  who  excites  enmity  among  friends,  shall 
be  a  fish.  The  female  domestic,  who  disobeys  her  mistress, 
shall  be  a  crocodile.  The  woman  who,  while  cooking, 
secretly  eats  any  of  the  food,  shall  be  a  cat.  He  who  ridi- 
cules his  parents,  shall  be  a  monkey.  He  who  exposes  to 
ridicule  the  secret  foibles  and  failings  of  others,  shall  be  a 
carrion-eating  crow. " — Hiss.  Her.,  June,  183T. 

CHINESE    SAYINGS. 

Some  of  the  ordinary  sayings  of  the  Chinese  are  sarcastic 
enough.  A  blustering,  harmless  fellow,  they  call  a  "paper 
tiger."  When  a  man  values  himself  overmuch,  they  com- 
pare him  to  "  a  rat  falling  into  a  scale  and  weighing  itself" 
Overdoing  a  thing  they  call  "  a  hunchback  making  a  bow." 
A  spendthrift  they  compare  to  "  a  rocket  which  goes  off  at 
once."  Those  who  expend  their  charity  on  remote  objects, 
but  neglect  their  family,  are  said  to  "hang  a  lantern  on  a 
pole,  which  is  seen  afar,  but  gives  no  light  below."  —  I^ciy- 
Spring,  3Iarch,  1850. 

ANGRY    SAINTS. 

When  Mr.  Perkins,  of  the  Nestorian  mission,  remonstrated 
with  priest  Shimon  for  joining  the  Papists,  he  said  they 
gave  him  money,  but  that  he  was  angry  with  the  mission 
on  account  of  some  supposed  neglect;  and  added,  "Two 
thirds  of  our  saints  died  of  anger ;  and,  under  the  influence 
of  anger,  a  man  will  even  run  into  hell-fire."  —  Ilissionary 
Herald,  1844,  p.  255. 


PROVEEBS.  307 

THEORY  OP  THE  TIDES. 

The  tides,  say  the  Hindoo  philosophers,  began  to  ebb  and 
flow  at  the  time  when  the  great  ocean  was  churned  by  the 
united  hands  of  the  gods  and  Asuras.  Previous  to  this  time 
the  ocean  had  been  as  tranquil  as  the  surface  of  a  lake  in 
the  stillness  and  serenity  of  a  mild  summer  evening.  Now 
the  Suras,  being  desirous  to  drink  the  water  of  immortality, 
applied  to  Narayana,  who  directed  them  to  churn  the  great 
ocean,  in  the  following  words  :  "  Let  the  ocean,  as  a  pot  of 
milk,  be  churned  by  the  united  labor  of  the  Suras  and  Asu- 
ras ;  and  when  the  mighty  waters  have  been  stirred  ujd,  the 
Amrita  shall  be  found."  The  mighty  mountain  Mandara, 
which  standeth  eleven  thousand  yojauas  above  the  earth, 
and  eleven  thousand  more  below  its  surface,  was  to  serve 
for  the  churning-stick  ;  the  lord  of  serpents,  Anata,  was  to 
be  the  rope ;  and  Indra,  the  king  of  the  gods,  was  to  churn 
the  ocean.  But  Indra,  finding  the  mountain  too  heavy,  said 
unto  Kurma  Raja,  the  king  of  the  tortoises,  upon  the  strand 
of  the  ocean,  "  My  lord  is  able  to  be  the  supporter  of  this 
mountain."  The  tortoise  replied,  "  Be  it  so  ;  "  and  it  was 
placed  upon  his  back.  So,  the  mountain  being  set  upon  the 
back  of  the  tortoise,  the  operation  of  churning  the  ocean, 
was  regularly  begun.  Now  Kurma  Deva,  being  fatigued  with 
the  enormous  weight  of  the  mountain  which  whirled  on  his 
back,  began  to  breathe  fast ;  and  the  force  of  his  breath  was 
such  that  at  each  expiration  the  waters  of  the  ocean  rushed 
forward,  and  at  each  inspiration  they  rolled  backwards  ;  and 
in  this  manner  the  tides  began  to  ebb  and  flow  in  the  ocean, 
—  Jour,  of  Miss.,  1854,  p.  3. 

PROVERBS. 

The  people  of  India  are  very  fond  of  proverbs,  or  short, 
pithy  sayings,  and  these  form  an  important  part  of  their 
national  literature.  Rev.  Mr.  Ward,  in  his  "  India  and  the 
Hindoos,"  from  which  we  quote,  gives  sevei'al  pages  of 
these  sentences,  taken,  he  says,  from  a  volume  containing 
nearly  two  thousand  of  the  same  general  character.  Only 
a  few  can  be  inserted  here,  but  enough  to  indicate  the  spirit 
and  genius  of  ancient  Hindoo  writings  : 

Are  all  men  men  ?  or  are  all  stones  rubies  ? 
Though  a  man  may  remove  to  the  distance  of  fifty  miles, 
his  sin  is  still  with  him. 


308  MYTHOLOCxIES,   MAXIMS,    ETC. 

If  one  only  knows  the  matter,  it  is  a  secret ;  if  two,  it  is 
public. 

Time  passes  away,  but  sayings  remain. 

Even  the  monkey  thinks  its  own  young  precious  as  gold. 

When  faults  are  scrutinized,  relationships  cease. 

Truth  will  conquer,  but  falsehood  will  kill. 

The  deeds  of  a  bad  man  will  burn  himself 

Marry  the  daughter  on  knowing  the  mother. 

There  is  no  flower  that  insects  will  not  visit. 

Courage  is  tried  in  war,  integrity  in  the  payment  of  debt 
and  interest,  the  faithfulness  of  a  wife  in  poverty,  and  friend- 
ship in  distress. 

Little  things  should  not  be  despised  ;  many  straws  united 
may  bind  an  elephant. 

A  wise  hearer  is  not  affected  by  the  speaker,  but  by  the 
oration. 

A  man  who,  without  malice,  takes  up  and  dwells  upon  the 
faults  of  others  only  to  excite  laughter,  is  like  a  man  who 
would  kill  his  neighbor  that  he  might  see  his  body  quiver  in 
death. 

Every  one  looking  downwards  becomes  impressed  with 
the  idea  of  his  own  greatness  ;  but  looking  upwards  feels 
his  own  littleness. 

The  effect  of  moral  action  will  terminate  on  the  actor. 

The  greatest  enemy  is  preferable  to  uncertain  friendship. 

Mr.  Ward  well  remarks,  that  these,  and  similar  counsels 
respecting  benevolence,  virtue,  &c.,  if  duly  observed,  would 
change  Ae  face  of  society  in  India.  They  are,  however,  a 
dead  letter,  being  little  known  or  admired,  except  in  books. 

"HONEST  AS  A  PROTESTANT." 

A  imiversal  disregard  of  triith  characterizes  every  class 
of  people  in  Turkey.  No  one  there  expects  a  man  to  speak 
the  truth,  when  his  worldly  interests  seem  to  require  a  lie. 
The  Protestants,  however,  who  take  the  Bible  for  their  guide, 
make  conscience  of  telling  the  truth,  even  to  their  own  hurt ; 
and  they  have  acquired  such  a  reputation  among  the  Turks 
for  truth  and  honesty,  that  the  phrase,  "  As  honest  as  a  Prot- 
estant," has  become  a  proverb.  Would  the  phrase,  "  Hon- 
est as  a  Christian,"  have  an  equal  force  and  meaning  in  the 
commercial  and  business  circles  even  of  New  England  ? 


THE   CUEAL.  309 

THE    CUB.AL. 

The  literature  of  Ilinclostan  abounds  with  volumes  on 
ethics  and  casuistry,  variously  expressed  in  the  language 
of  poetry,  pi'overb,  fables,  narrative,  and  didactic  counsel. 
Many  of  the  sentiments  contained  in  these  works  are  ex- 
tremely defective,  and  even  ruinous,  while  others  are  worthy 
of  admiration  for  their  wisdom.  At  the  head  of  this  latter 
class  stands  that  extraoixlinary  production,  the  Cural,  for 
which  the  Hindoos  consider  themselves  indebted  to  Tiru- 
vuHavar,  deemed  an  incarnation  of  wisdom.  This  rare  col- 
lection of  precepts  is  more  than  fifteen  hundred  years  old, 
and,  conveyed  in  a  style  of  genuine  poetry,  has  lost  none 
of  its  favor  among  the  people.  Portions  of  this  work  have 
been  translated  into  English,  by  several  oriental  scholars, 
from  one  of  which,  made  by  Mr.  Ellis,  of  the  Madras  civil 
service,  the  following  stanzas  are  selected  : 

"  As  ranked  in  every  alphabet  the  first, 
The  self-same  vowel  stands,  so  in  all  worlds 
The  Eternal  God  is  chief. 

"  Of  virtue  void,  as  is  the  palsied  sense. 
The  head  must  be,  that  bows  not  at  his  feet. 
Whose  eight-fold  attributes  pervade  the  world. 

"  As  the  hook  rules  the  elephant,  so  he, 
In  wisdom  firm,  his  earthly  passions  rules 
Who  hopes  to  flourish  in  the  soil  of  heaven. 

"  No  greater  gain  than  virtue  canst  thou  know  ; 
Than  virtue  to  forget  no  greater  loss. 

"  Refer  not  virtue  to  another  day  ; 
Receive  her  now,  and,  at  thy  dying  hour. 
She  '11  prove  thy  never-dying  friend. 

"  Know  that  is  virtue  which  each  ought  to  do  ; 
What  each  should  shun  is  vice. 

•'  If  love  and  virtue  be  thy  constant  guests,   • 
Domestic  life  is  blest,  and  finds  in  these 
Its  object  and  reward. 

"  Before  their  scornful  foes 

Bold  as  a  lion  those  dare  never  walk. 

Whose  fame  is  sullied  by  their  wives'  base  deeds. 

*'  Of  all  the  world  calls  good,  no  good  exists 

Like  that  which  wise  and  virtuous  offspring  give. 
I  know  no  greater  good. 


310  MYTHOLOGIES,   MAXIMS,   ETC. 

*'  Sweet  is  the  pipe,  and  sweet  the  lute,  they  say  ; 
They  who  have  never  heard  their  children's  tongues 
In  infant  prattle  lisp. 

"  What  bolt  can  love  restrain  ?  What  veil  conceal  ? 
One  tear-drop  in  the  eye  of  those  thou  lovest 
Will  draw  a  flood  from  thine. 

"  To  honor  guests  with  hospitable  rite. 
Domestic  life  with  all  its  various  joys 
To  man  was  given. 

"  Though  courtesy  rejoice  the  heart,  yet  words 
Of  kindness,  which  dress  the  face  in  smiles, 
Will  more  avail. 

"  Discourteous  speech  when  courteous  may  be  used. 
Is  like  the  rich  appetite  which  culls 
Fruit  immature,  leaving  the  ripe  untouched. 

"  Small  as  a  grain  of  millet 

Though  it  be,  large  as  the  towering  palm 
A  benefit  to  grateful  eyes  appears. 

"  Though  every  virtue  by  his  hand  expire. 
Yet  may  he  live  ;  but,  by  the  stroke  he  dies, 
When  murdered  gratitude  before  him  falls. 

"  That  virtue,  which  in  all  relations  holds 
Unchangeable  its  nature,  that  alone 
Deserves  the  name  of  justice. 

"  It  is  the  glory  of  the  just  to  stand. 
Like  the  adjusted  balance,  duly  poised, 
Nor  swerve  to  either  side. 

"  Though  unrestrained  all  else,  restrain  thy  tongue, 
For,  those  degraded  by  licentious  speech, 
Will  rue  their  tongue's  offence. 

"  The  wound  may  heal,  though  from  a  burning  brand, 
And  be  forgotten  ;  but  the  woimd  ne'er  heals 
4-  burning  tongue  inflicts." 

—  Wai'd's  India  and  the  Hindoos,  p.  169. 


DYING  TESTIMONY  OF  MISSIONARIES. 


The  dying  experience  of  some  of  the  most  eminent  of 
missionaries  is  omitted  in  the  following  pages,  because  their 
record  is  in  published  memoirs,  to  be  found  in  every  Sab- 
bath-school and  family  library.  Of  the  last  hours  of  some 
others,  equally  distinguished,  no  mention  is  made  here,  — 
they  having  died  under  circumstances  which  rendered  free 
communication  with  friends,  in  the  final  hour,  impossible. 
The  examples  that  are  given,  will,  it  is  believed,  be  found  to 
be  instructive  and  precious  memorials,  and  serve  to  kindle 
in  the  heart  of  the  reader  higher  aspirations  after  a  religion 
so  full  of  hope  and  immortality  in  the  final  hour. 

DR.  WILSON, 

Dr.  Alexander  E.  Wilson,  missionary  of  the  American 
Board  in  Western  Africa,  died  October,  1841,  after  a  dis- 
tressing sickness  of  nine  days.  He  said  he  did  not  then, 
nor  had  he  ever,  for  one  moment,  regretted  his  coming  to 
Africa.  Sending  for  a  company  of  young  men,  whom  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  instruct  nightly  at  his  house,  he 
said  to  them,  calling  each  by  name,  "  I  am  about  to  die  ;  I 
am  going  to  Jesus  Christ ;  and  I  beg  you  will  never  forget 
those  things  which  I  have  taught  you  ;  but  attend  to  them, 
and  try  to  meet  me  in  heaven."  At  a  later  period,  he  said, 
with  great  solemnity,  "  Well,  the  Lord  is  about  to  take 
down  this  tabernacle,  but,  blessed  be  God,  we  have  a  build- 
ing of  God,  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens."  He  requested  his  missionary  friends,  who  stood 
around  him,  to  sing  the  hymn,  "There  is  a  fountain  filled 
with  blood  ;"  and  also,  "Jesus,  dear  friend,  to  thee  I  lift 


312  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

mine  eyes."  About  an  hour  before  his  death,  he  was  asked 
if  he  knew  the  persons  around  him  ;  to  which  he  answered, 
"  No,  no,  no."  But,  on  being  asked  if  he  knew  the  Saviour, 
he  said,  "  Yes,  dear,  precious  Saviour,  I  look  to  him." 
These  were  his  last  words,  and  he  soon  ceased  to  breathe. 
^Miss.  Her.,  1842,  p.  171. 

MBS.  "WALKER. 

Mrs,  Walker  was  a  native  of  Dracut,  Mass.,  and  embarked 
at  Boston  for  Cape  Palmas,  Dec,  1841.  She  died  in  three 
months  after  landing  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  When  told 
that  she  must  soon  die,  though  she  was  not  aware  of  such 
a  result,  she  did  not  appear  at  all  disturbed.  But  the 
thought  of  home  and  friends  rushed  upon  her  mind,  and  she 
exclaimed,  "  0,  my  father  and  mother,  and  brothers  and 
sistei's  !  "  She  proposed  having  prayers,  during  which, 
though  all  others  were  affected  to  tears,  she  was  perfectly 
calm.  The  cloud  had  passed  away  from  her  mind.  When 
she  was  too  low  to  complete  a  sentence  on  any  worldly 
subject,  she  would  converse  upon  death  and  a  coming  woi'ld 
with  perfect  calmness,  and  in  the  possession  of  her  usual 
faculties.  The  girls  of  the  mission-school  being  called  to 
her  bedside,  she  talked  to  them  with  an  earnestness  and 
affection  which  seemed  to  come  from  the  portals  of  the 
heavenly  world.  When  her  husband  asked  her  what  he 
should  write  to  her  friends,  she  said,  "Tell  them  that  I  do 
not  now,  on  my  dying  bed,  regret  coming  to  Africa."  After 
this  she  was  unable  to  converse,  and  sunk  to  rest  as  the 
summer's  sun  fades  away  into  the  twilight  of  heaven.  — 
3Iiss.  Her.,  1843,  p.  31. 

REV.    MR.    DIBBLE. 

Mr.  Dibble  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  entered  upon 
missionary  labor  in  the  Sandwich  Islands  in  1831,  and  died 
at  Lahainaluna,  in  Jan.,  1845.  At  one  time,  while  bleeding 
profusely  at  the  lungs,  he  remarked,  "  IIow  sweet  it  is  to 
have  a  Saviour  at  such  a  time  as  this  !  "  On  the  last  day  of 
his  life,  he  said  to  a  friend,  who  called  to  give  him  a  loaf  of 
bread,  "  I  think  I  shall  not  eat  that  bread  ;  "  then,  turning 
to  his  wife,  he  added,  "  I  have  now  nothing  more  to  do  but 
to  bless  my  wife,  and  bless  my  children,  and  go  to  bed,  and 
draw  up  my  feet  like  good  old  Jacob,  and  go  home."  In 
the  evening  of  the  same  day,  he  appeared  to  be  dying,  but 
raising  himself  up  as  from  sleep,  he  said,  "  I  thought  I  was 


REV.  CHARLES   LACEY.  313 

(lead  ;  I  have  come  back."  Then  followed  a  melting  scene, 
the  bidding-  flxrewell  to  his  wife  and  children.  "He  did  it 
with  much  heavenly  composure,"  says  a  missionary  brother, 
"  as  he  assured  us  that  he  was  going-  home  to  his  father's 
house,  where  he  hoped  soon  to  meet  them  all.  When  his 
eldest  daughter  took  his  hand,  he  roused  all  his  energies, 
and  drew  her  to  him  with  an  earnestness  that  implied  he 
Avould  take  her  with  him  to  heaven.  The  night  was  occu- 
pied in  prayer,  in  repeating  appropriate  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  in  singing  such  hymns  as  'Jerusalem,  my  happy 
home  ; '  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  his  soul  passed 
over  Jordan  into  the  promised  rest.  So  happy  and  peace- 
ful was  his  death,  that  the  feelings  of  all  pi-esent  might  be 
described  in  that  sweet  and  touching  verse, 

0,  for  the  death  of  those 

Who  slumber  in  the  Lord  ! 
0,  be  like  theirs  my  last  repose, 

Like  theirs  my  last  reward  ! '  " 

—  Miss.  Her.,  1845,  p.  361. 

REV.  CHARLES    LACEY. 

Mr.  Lacey  was  a  missionary  of  the  General  Baptist  Soci- 
ety (London),  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  January,  1853, 
was  stationed  at  Cuttack,  India.  An  account  of  his  last 
hours,  prepared  by  a  fellow-laborer,  Mr.  Buckley,  appeared 
in  the  "Missionary  Register"  for  June,  1853,  and  is  in- 
structive and  profitable.  A  few  days  before  his  death,  he 
said,  "  I  feel  that  I  am  in  the  Lord's  hands.  His  will  be 
done.  If  it  be  his  will  that  I  should  go,  I  am  willing  ;  if 
not,  I  am  willing  to  remain  a  little  longer.  I  am  in  his 
hands  ;  this,  this  is  my  resting-place."  With  much  feeling 
he  afterwards  said,  "  I  know  in  whom  I  have  believed,"  kc. 
Ho  expressed  his  hope  in  Christ,  adding,  that  sometimes  he 
liad  such  views  of  the  depravity  of  liis  heart,  —  of  its  length, 
its  bn.'adth,  its  depth,  its  height,  —  that  he  was  almost  driven 
to  despair.  Yet,  when  he  had  the  most  awful  views  of  sin 
and  its  deserts,  he  felt  that  the  blood  of  Clirist  could  cover 
all,  and  that,  confiding  in  him,  no  one  could  condemn.  His 
friend,  ]\[r.  Buckley,  referred  to  his  having  been  devoted  to 
the  service  of  God  for  many  years,  and  spoke  of  the  grace 
that  had  enabled  him  for  twenty-eight  years  Hiithfully  to 
proclaim  the  blessed  Gospel  in  that  country  ;  to  which  the 
dying  missionary  replied,  after  a  little  hesitation,  "Some- 
27 


314  DYING   TESTIMONY  OF  MISSIONARIES. 

thing  of  that  kind  may  be  said,  and  of  course  the  grace  of 
God  must  be  aclcnowledged  ;  but  when  1  tliiiik  of  the  past 
it  condemns  me.  It  is  true  I  have  done  a  little,  bat  I  see  so 
much  more  that  I  might  have  done,  that  I  feel  no  satisfac- 
tion whatever  in  the  review  ;  my  best  works  have  been  sin- 
ful." On  the  Monday  morning  before  his  death,  after  the 
most  intense  sufferings,  he  said  to  his  brother  Sutton,  "  The 
clouds  of  darkness  are  overwhelming  me."  A  hope  was 
expi-essed  that  it  was  not  so;  to  which  he  replied,  "I  am 
thankful  to  hope  that  Christ  is  with  me  ;  "  and,  added,  "  Lord 
be  with  me  ;  be  with  me  now ;  every  moment  be  with  me." 
A  brother  mentioned  the  verse,  "  I  give  unto  them  eternal 
life,  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  man  pluck 
them  out  of  my  hands."  This  appeared  to  give  him  comfort, 
and  he  added,  "  The  promises  in  him  are  yea,  and  in  him 
amen."  The  next  day  he  said  to  his  old  friend,  Rama 
Chundra,  "To  live  is  Christ;  to  die  is  gain."  The  day 
before  his  death,  Mr.  Buckley  repeated  Baxter's  dying 
words,  "I  have  pain,  but  I  have  peace."  —  "Ah,"  he  said, 
"  what  a  nice  blessing  is  peace  !  "  and  repeated  our  Lord's 
words,  "  My  peace  I  leave  with  you  ;  my  peace  I  give  unto 
you  ;  not  as  the  world  giveth  give  I  unto  you,"  dwelling 
especially  on  the  last  words.  When  his  sufferings  were 
very  severe,  Mr.  B.  said,  "  It  is  hard  work  ;  the  Lord  sup- 
port you,  dear  brother."  —  "I  fully  recognize  that  as  the 
desire  of  my  heart,"  was  his  affectionate  reply.  Again,  in 
a  time  of  great  pain,  he  said,  "  IIow  long,  how  long,  how 
long  before  the  Lord  will  come  ?  IIow  long  will  he  cast  me 
into  this  fiery  trial  ?  He  will  bring  me  out  triumphantly,^^ 
repeating  the  last  word  with  great  decision  ;  and,  continu- 
ing, "I  believe  he  will,  I  hope  he  will,  I  know  he  will." 
On  this  day  he  made  his  will,  and  addressed  his  parting 
counsels  to  one  and  another.  Mr.  B.  says,  "  I  was  at  his 
side  when  he  gave  his  last  solemn  charge  to  his  children  to 
meet   him  in    heaven,  and   he  appealed  to  me.     '  Brother 

Buckley,  you  have  heard  what  I  have  said,  and  what 

has  said  in  answer  ;  now  remember  it  my  child.'  "  He  was 
exhausted.  It  was  an  affecting  scene.  In  addressing  his 
sorrowing  wife,  he  spoke  of  the  trials  that  had  bei'alleu 
them  in  pursuing  the  journey  of  life  together,  and  affec- 
tionately kissed  her.     She  repeated  a  part  of  the  hymn, 

"  AVe  've  no  abiding  citj'  here, 
We  seek  a  city  out  of  sight." 


MR.   BUSHNELL.  315 

He  said,  "  Yes,  it  is  a  city  which  hath  foundations,  whose 
liuildor  and  maker  is  God.  It  is  a  house  not  made  with 
liands,  eternal  in  the  heavens."  On  the  last  evening  of  his 
life,  a  female  attendant  repeated  the  verse,  "  None  of  them 
that  trust  in  him  shall  be  desolate."  He  replied,  "He  is  all 
1  require  —  all  justice  —  all  mercy  —  all  love  —  all  truth  — ■ 
all  power.  He  is  all  that  is  necessary  fully  to  complete  my 
salvation.  Why  should  I  fear  and  tremble  to  trust  in  him  ? 
AVhy  should  I  not  boldly  cast  myself  upon  him  ?  I  will ;  " 
then  with  greater  emphasis,  "/  will — that  I  loill;  there 
will  I  rest."  On  Mrs.  Buckley's  expressing  her  sorrow  at 
the  parting,  he  said,  "My  work  is  done.  K  Jesus  had 
more  work  for  me  to  do,  would  he  call  me  now  —  do  you 
think  he  would  ?  "  He  took  a  composing  draught,  which 
the  doctor  sent  him,  and  said,  "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy 
servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy  word,  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation  ;  "  and,  giving  his  weeping  wife 
a  parting  kiss  and  a  tender  "  good-by,"  he  fell  asleep  to  wake 
no  more. 

MRS.   BUSHNELL. 

Mrs.  Bushnell  was  a  native  of  Salem,  Westchester  Co., 
New  York.  In  June,  I83T,  she  sailed  for  West  Africa,  as  a 
teacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Board.  She  was  mar- 
ried to  Rev.  Mr.  Stocker,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  mis- 
sion in  Liberia,  in  1839,  and  was  soon  left  a  widow.  Her 
relation  was  then  transferred  to  the  American  Board's  mis- 
sion at  Gaboon,  and  in  1842  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Bush- 
nell. She  died  in  February,  18.50.  In  the  near  prospect  of 
death  she  said,  with  tears,  "  Tell  young  Christians  in  Amer- 
ica that  my  dying  testimou}'  is,  that  the  missionary  work  is 
blessed  work,  even  in  Africa."  During  the  last  week  of  her 
life  she  was  able  to  converse  but  little,  but  she  said  enough 
to  show  the  state  of  her  mind.  "Blessed  Jesus!  Sweet 
Heaven  !  I  shall  soon  be  there  and  see  the  King  in  his 
glory;"  and  similar  remarks  were  frequently  falling  from 
her  lips.  A  little  before  her  death  she  complained  of  feeling 
strangely,  and  with  a  sweet  smile  said,  "Perhaps  my 
heavenly  Father  is  coming  to  release  me.  If  so,  praise  him, 
0,  praise  him  !  and  if  not,  praise  him  too.  Blessed  heavenly 
Father,  dear  Saviour,  art  thou  coniing?  Welcome,  Jesus, 
take  me  to  thyself!  A  few  hours  later,  after  gazing  for 
some  time  upwards,  she  broke  forth  in  an  ecstasy,  of  joy, 
saying,  "Jesus  is  precious,  0,  how  precious  !  I  have  got  a 
glimpse  of  him  this  morning  —  such  a  view  as  I  have  long 


316  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

been  desiring.  He  says  I  am  his  and  he  is  mine.  Now  let 
those  pains  return,  and  I  can  bear  them,  for  Jesus  is  with 
me."  After  this  she  showed  no  signs  of  uneasiness,  and 
soon  ceased  to  breathe. — Miss.  Her.,  1850,  p.  280. 

MRS.   TODD. 

Mrs.  Todd,  wife  of  the  missionary  of  the  American  Board 
in  Southern  India,  died  June  1st,  ISS"!.  On  her  death-bed 
she  uttered  many  expressions  like  the  following  :  "  Jesus,  my 
all  ;  he  is  my  all ;  1  see  him  altogether  lovely,  all  bright  and 
glorious,  all  bright  and  glorious !  Crown  him  Lord  of  all ! 
I  cannot  tell  you  my  thoughts,  but  I  can  tell  Jesus  how 
much  I  love  him.  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly  ;  come 
now  and  take  possession  of  my  heart !  " 

KEV.   JAMES  mCHARDS. 

Mr.  Richards  was  a  native  of  Abington,  Mass.,  and  a 
graduate  of  Andover  Theological  Seminary.  He  was  an 
associate  with  Mills,  Meigs,  Poor,  Bard  well,  &c.,  in  the 
earliest  missionary  movements,  and  embarked  for  Ceylon  in 
the  autumn  of  1815.  In  that  field  he  labored  joyfully  for  a 
brief  period,  and  died  in  1822,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight.  Of 
his  last  hours  Rev.  Myron  Winslow  thus  speaks:  "Have 
just  returned  from  being  two  nights  with  brother  Richards. 
His  spirit  still  seems  hanging  on  the  precious  promises,  and 
turning,  like  the  needle  to  its  pole,  to  the  great  centre  of  all 
his  hopes  and  desires.  He  repeated  last  night,  with  much 
emphasis, 

•  By  faith  I  see  the  land, 

The  port  of  endless  rest ; 
My  soul,  thy  sails  expand, 

And  fly  to  Jesus'  breast.'  " 

One  day  later  Mr.  Winslow  found  him  "  on  the  wing  for 
eternal  glory."  His  language  was,  "  I  long  to  depart,  and 
pray  that  I  may  have  patience.  I  think  I  am  not  deceived. 
No,  he  is  the  chief  among  ten  thousand.  I  never  had  such 
views  of  the  Saviour  as  I  have  had  for  a  few  days  past." 
He  soon  added,  "It  is  one  of  my  greatest  trials  that  my 
body  is  so  weak,  and  my  mind  so  dull,  that  I  forget  my 
mercies  ;  but  in  heaven  I  shall  not  forget,  no,  never.  There 
I  shall  remember  all ;  there  I  shall  sing  —  there  I  shall  sing 
glory  to  God.  I  have  sometimes  had  as  much  joy  in  singing 
the  praise  of  God  here  as  my  body  could  bear,  —  what  will 
it  be  in  heaven!  "     After  asking  some  questions  as  to  Mr. 


MR.    AND   MRS.    PORTER.  317 

Winslow's  religious  experience,  he  said,  "  I  have  long  had 
a  degree  of  quietness,  and  been  free  from  distressing  doubts, 
and  lately  I  have  tried  to  examine  myself  more  thoroughly. 
I  have  a  comfortable  hope  ;  on  any  other  subject  I  should 
say  I  am  certain.'^  A  few  days  after  this  he  said,  "  It  is 
good  to  sutler.  It  gives  me  some  faint  idea  of  what  the  Sa- 
viour bore  for  me.  Thanks,  eternal  thanks,  to  that  grace  which 
snatched  me  from  the  jaws  of  the  devourer !  When  I  get 
home,  how  will  I  sing  the  praises  of  him  who  will  have 
washed  away  all  my  sins  I  Crown  him  —  yes,  I'll  crown 
him  Lord  of  all  I  "  After  a  season  of  great  distress  he  said, 
"  0,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly  !  If  this  be  dying,  I  must 
say,  0,  the  pains,  the  groans,  the  dying  striie  !  Lord  is  it  not 
enough  ?  "  In  the  night  his  wife  told  him  she  thought 
his  sj^mptoms  indicated  a  speedy  termination  of  his  suf- 
ferings, and  perhaps  that  was  the  last  night.  —  "  Well,  my 
dear,"  said  he,  "  j^ju  will  unite  with  me  in  thanksgiving 
to  God  for  so  pleasant  a  prospect.  Retire  to  rest,  and  gain 
strength  for  the  trial."  Dr.  Scudder  soon  came  in,  and  said 
to  him,  "  It  is  almost  over,  brother  Richards."  Joy  beamed 
in  his  countenance  as  he  replied,  "Yes,  brother  Scudder,  I 
think  so  —  I  hope  so.  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickljM  "  lie 
inquired  for  his  son  James,  his  only  child,  and,  taking  him 
by  the  hand,  said,  "  M}'  son,  your  papa  is  d^'ing ;  he  will 
very  soon  be  dead.  My  son,  remember  three  things, — be  a 
good  boy  ;  mind  your  mamma;  and  love  Jesus  Christ."  lie 
also  gave  him  a  small  pocket  Testament,  telling  him  to  read 
much  in  it,  and  obey  it.  After  a  few  nioments,  looking 
round  upon  those  present,  he  said,  "Tell  brother  Scudder 
—  going,"  and  spoke  no  more.  — lliss.  Her.,  1824,  p.  234:. 

MR.  AND   MBS.  PORTER. 

Rev.  Rollin  Porter  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  was 
married  to  Miss  Nancy  Ann  Sikes,  a  native  of  Connecticut. 
They  sailed  for  the  Gaboon,  South  Africa,  March,  1851. 
After  a  few  months  of  faithful  labor  in  that  field,  tliey  both 
went  to  their  reward,  scarcely  divided  in  their  death.  They 
were  both  prostrated  with  fever  at  the  same  time,  and  Mrs. 
Porter,  hearing  one  evening  that  her  husband  was  not  ex- 
pected to  live  till  morning,  wished  to  be  taken  to  him,  and 
was  carried  to  his  bedside  in  a  rocking-chair.  He  revived  a 
little,  and  "there,"  says  one  who  was  present,  "the  last 
words  were  uttered  between  the  most  aflcctionate  couple 
I  ever  kuew.     Those   tones  are  still  ringing  in  my  ear  — 


318  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

'Farewell,  my  love,  till  we  meet  in  heaven.'  Mrs.  Porter 
was  then  carried  back  to  her  room.  She  could  hear  her 
husband's  last  hard  breathing,  and  said,  '  If  I  was  a  little 
stronger  I  could  go  and  look  at  him  once  more  while  he 
lives  ;  but  the  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I 
not  drink  it  ? '  Just  at  this  crisis,  a  beautiful  little  daugli- 
ter  died,  and  led  the  way  to  heaven.  In  one  hour  her  father 
was  with  her.  Mrs.  Porter  lingered  a  day  or  two,  and  then 
joined  her  loved  ones  in  bliss.  Her  last  messages  to  distant 
friends  were,  '  Tell  my  brothers,  and  that  dear  little  sister, 
that  their  sister  did  love  the  Saviour  ;  that  he  was  near  to  her 
in  the  last  dread  hour  ;  that  she  wants  to  meet  them  in  hea- 
ven. Tell  my  pastor  that  I  want  him  to  take  that  dear 
little  Bible  again,  and  that  its  precious  promises  have  cheered 
and  comforted  me  in  hours  of  trial.  Tell  my  dear  parents  and 
sisters  that  the  Saviour  calls,  and  I  am  glad  to  go.  I  go  to 
loved  ones  thei'e,  and  in  a  little  while  the  rest  will  come.' 
She  was  much  distressed  for  a  while,  and  said, '  This  is  death, 
this  is  death ;  but  it  is  not  hard  to  die  ;  Jesus  can  make  a 
dying  bed  feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are.'  Becoming  a  little 
insensible,  she  murmured  to  herself  such  expressions  as 
these  :  '  Many  mansions  did  Jesus  say  he  had  gone  to  pre- 
pare ?  —  mansions,  and  for  such  as  I  ?  —  The  great  white 
throne, —  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly, —  I  will  wait  his 
time, — 'T  is  sweet  to  know  no  will  but  his.'  These  were 
her  last  words  ;  and  after  three  hours  of  apparent  insensi- 
bility, she  drew  a  last  faint  sigh,  and  all  was  over, —  she  had 
reached  her  home."  —  Jour,  of  Hiss.,  April,  1852. 

DR.  WILLIAM  CAREY. 

Dr.  Carey  was  the  first  missionary  to  India,  and  died  June 
9th,  1834,  having  labored  in  that  field  forty-one  years.  His 
last  will  was  found  to  contain  the  following  characteristic 
provision  :  "I  direct  that,  before  every  other  thing,  all  my 
lawful  debts  may  be  paid  ;  that  my  funeral  be  as  plain  as 
possible  ;  that  I  may  be  buried  by  the  side  of  my  second 
wife,  Charlotte  Emilia  Carey  ;  and  that  the  following  inscrip- 
tion, and  nothing  more,  maj^  be  cut  on  the  stone  which  com- 
memorates her,  either  above  or  below,  as  there  may  be 
room  — viz.  : 

'WILLIAM  CAREY,  born  august  17,  1761  ;  died 

'  A  ■wretched,  poor  ami  helpless  worm, 
On  thy  kind  arms  I  fall.'  " 

—  Hist.  Bap.  3Iiss.  Soc,  vol.  i.,  p.  Bll. 


REV.    G.    TURNBULL.  319 

MRS.  W^OLCOTT. 

Mrs.  Wolcott,  of  the  Beyroot  mission,  died  Oct.  2Gth, 
1841.  Perceivings  the  indications  of  her  approaching  end, 
she  observed,  "  This  is  death.  I  shall  soon  be  in  eteruit3^" 
Then,  turning  her  face  gently  upward,  she  uttered,  at  such 
intervals  as  her  extreme  sufferings  would  permit,  the  fol- 
lowing sentences,  very  deliberately  and  distinctly:  "Lord 
Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.  I  lay  my  soul  at  thy  feet.  Grant 
it  some  humble  place  before  thee.  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 
spirit.  I  give  thee  this  soul  in  all  its  pollution  ;  I  can  make 
it  no  better  ;  it  is  all  that  I  can  do.  Conduct  me  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  May  thy  rod  and  thy 
staff  comfort  me.  Pain,  and  distress,  and  anguish  —  but 
may  I  soon  be  with  Jesus  !  "  Her  voice  failed,  but  after  a 
wdiile  she  rallied  a  little,  and  said,  "I  feel  this  morning, 
when  I  am  able  to  think  at  all,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  por- 
tion of  my  soul.  There  is  none  other  for  me."  These  were 
her  last  expressions  while  her  mind  was  clear.  —  Hiss. 
Her.,  1842,  p.  91. 

REV,    G.  TURNBULL. 

Rev.  Gilbert  Turnbull  was  a  missionary  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  stationed  at  Bangalore,  in  the  Madras 
presidenc}^  India.  He  had  been  in  the  service  but  a  short 
time,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  at  Sydney,  New 
South  Wales,  whither  he  had  gone  for  his  health.  The  fol- 
lowing sketch  is  taken  from  a  letter  written  by  his  wife  soon 
after  his  decease. 

His  medical  adviser,  seeing  how  fast  he  was  sinking,  ap- 
peared much  affected,  and  said,  "  0  that  I  could  give  you 
something  to  relieve  you  I  "  Upon  wdiich  he  looked  steadily 
at  him,  and  said,  "  0,  Mr.  W.,  no  human  means  can  now 
avail  me  anything  ;  I  'm  going  fast.  0,  yes,  1  shall  quickl}' 
be  with  Jesus,  and  see  him  as  he  is  !  0,  the  blessedness 
of  having  sought  him  in  health  !  His  blood  alone  cleanseth 
from  all  sin  ;  I  feel  it  has  cleansed  me,  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners." Awaking  from  a  doze,  and  seeing  his  wife  weeping 
by  his  side,  he  said,  "Don't  grieve,  love;  our  union  has 
been  short,  and  marked  by  much  affection  and  trial  ;  but 
I  'm  going  to  my  precious  Saviour,  and  there  we  shall  soon 
meet,  never  more  to  separate."  For  some  hours  he  seemed 
fast  sinking,  but  he  spoke  a  little  at  intervals.  Once  he 
said,  "I  am  in  the  dark  valley,  but  I  fear  no  evil  ;  Jesus  is 
with  me  ;  his  rod  and  his  staff  support  and  comfort  me.     0, 


320  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

notliing  will  do  for  a  dying  sinner  but  Jesus  —  he  alone." 
Then,  raising  his  arms,  he  said,  with  aloud  voice,  "  Witness, 
ye  believers,  what  it  is  to  die  in  Jesus  —  all  peace  —  all 
safety  —  all  joy  !  His  dear,  precious  blood  alone  can  cleanse 
from  sin  —  can  give  comfort  in  the  hour  of  death."  Then, 
extending  his  arm  towards  heaven,  he  exclaimed,  "  Ct)nie, 
Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly  !  I  long  to  see  thee  as  thou  art ! 
"Why  tarry  thy  chariot  wheels  ?  1  am  ready.  0  take  me  to 
thyself!  "  For  a  time  he  seemed  to  be  in  prayer,  after 
which,  opening  his  eyes,  and  resting  them  on  his  wife,  ho 
said,  "  0  blessed  assurance  that  wc  shall  soon  meet  above, 
never  more  to  sorrow  nor  to  separate."  Several  times  he 
attempted  to  sing,  but  found  himself  unable.  He  asked 
his  wife  to  read  to  him  the  hymn  commencing,  "  There  is  a 
land  of  pure  delight,"  and,  when  she  had  finished,  he  said, 
"  0,  I  am  almost  there  !  I  can  already  see  the  delectable 
mountains,  and  ere  long  shall  eat  of  their  precious  fruits." 
About  nine  in  the  evening  he  requested  that  the  family 
might  be  called.  On  entering  the  room,  one  of  them  said 
to  him,  "My  dear  brother,  you  will  soon  be  home  now." 
To  which  he  replied,  "  0  yes,  very,  very  soon  ;  the  Spirit 
is  calling  me  to  come  away :  I  shall  be  asleep  in  Jesus  be- 
fore morning  ;  how  sweet  that  will  be  !  "  He  rested  well 
during  the  night,  and  in  the  morning  a  friend  asked  him  if 
he  felt  happy  ;  to  which  he  replied,  "0  yes,  the  Lord  is 
taking  me  to  himself,  and  by  a  pleasant  path."  During 
the  day  his  mind  was  wandering,  but  about  eight  o'clock  in 
the  evening  he  revived,  and  said,  "  I  'm  just  at  home.  0, 
I  shall  soon  be  with  my  Saviour  !  "  He  breathed  with  diffi- 
culty for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  said,  faintly,  "  My  heart 
and  my  flesh  faileth."  Then,  rousing  all  his  remaining 
strength,  he  uttered,  in  a  loud  and  distinct  voice,  "  But 
thou  art  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  forever." 
These  were  his  last  words.  Ho  breathed  easy  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  quietly  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  —  London  Jlfis- 
sionary  Magazine,  1839,  p.  169. 

MRS.  BURGESS. 

Mrs.  Burgess  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Burgess,  of 
the  Ahmcdnuggur  mis.sion,  and  died  June,  1841.  To  the 
last  moment  her  mind  was  clear,  and  as  active  and  happy 
as  in  her  healthiest  days.  Her  disease,  cholera,  terminated 
suddenly,  and  without  much  pain.  She  said,  "  It  seems  an 
easy  thing  to  die."     At  another  time  she  said  to  one  by  her 


REV.   MR.    LAWSON.  321 

bedside,  "I  have  no  fear  of  death  ;  the  sting  of  deatli  has 
been  taken  away."  Her  husband  was  absent  on  a  short 
tour,  and  did  not  return  till  after  her  death.  Alluding  to 
him,  she  said,  with  much  feeling,  "  My  husband,  my  poor 
husband !  but  he  is  a  man  of  God,  and  God  will  take  care 
of  him  ;  I  know  he  will  ;  I  feel  that  he  will."  After  this, 
she  lay  in  silence  a  few  moments,  and  then,  lifting  her 
eyes  to  heaven,  she  exclaimed,  "  0,  to  God  be  all  the  glory, 
all  the  glory,  all  the  glory  !  "  Soon  after  this  she  sunk  in 
the  arms  of  death.  —  Mi^s.  Her.,  184:2,  p.  421. 

MRS.  GRANT. 

Mrs.  Grant,  wife  of  Doct.  Grant,  of  the  Nestorian  mis- 
sion, died  Jan.,  1839,  after  a  sickness  of  ten  days.  In  the 
immediate  prospect  of  death,  rejoicing  that  she  had  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens,  she  said,  "  It 
is  all  through  grace!  I  renounce  myself  entirely.  It  is 
through  the  riches  of  God's  mercy  in  Christ  Jesus  that  I 
shall  enter  heaven."  Being  in  great  pain,  she  said,  "This 
is  nothing  to  what  Christ  suffered  for  me."  And  again, 
"  0,  the  presence  of  Christ !  It  is  everything  ;  it  is  heaven 
to  the  Christian,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."  She 
often  repeated  that  beautiful  verse  of  the  twenty-fifth 
Psalm,  "  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,"  &c.,  and  added,  "What  a 
precious  support,  to  lean  upon  Christ,  while  we  pass 
through  the  dark  valley  I  "  At  another  time  she  said,  "  To 
think  of  dying,  and  living  freed  from  sin  and  suffering  in 
the  presence  of  God,  is  most  delightful  —  it  is  rapturous  !  " 
—  Miss.  Her.,  1839,  p.  281. 

REV.  MR.  LAWSON. 

Mr.  Lawson  was  a  missionary  of  the  English  Baptist 
Missionary  Society,  at  Calcutta,  where  he  died  Oct.,  1825. 
His  closing  experience  shows  the  sustaining  power  of  reli- 
gion in  a  manner  too  impressive  to  be  omitted.  The  record, 
prepared  by  a  missionary  who  attended  him,  says : 

"  He  this  morning  addressed  his  children  and  missionary 
associates  with  much  proprietj^  and  pathos,  and,  in  his 
messages  to  absent  friends,  manifested  much  affection 
and  divine  support.  He  told  Mr.  Penny,  '  Tell  Bro.  Carey 
that  I  am  now  passing  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  and  that  I  have  the  presence  and  assistance 
of   my   Redeemer.      I   have   strength   equal   to  my   day.' 


J- 


322  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

He  said  to  Rro.  Yates,  respecting*  Mr.  Hoby,  'Yon  know 
Bro.  Hoby  ;  1  knew  him  some  time  before  you,  and  I  trust 
we  both  had  the  same  spirit  as  to  the  mission.  He  well 
knows  what  a  poor,  trembling',  and  almost  despairing-  creature 
I  used  to  be  ;  but  tell  him,  iell  him,  that  you  saw  me  die, 
and  that  I  had  peace  in  mj^  last  moments.  Tell  him  that  I 
saw  nothing  frightful  in  death,  but  found  light  and  comiort 
while  passing  through  the  dark  valley.'  He  said  also  to 
Bro.  Yates,  'If  I  must  sa}'- an3'thing  about  the  improvement 
of  my  death,  I  think  I  should  like  it  to  be  from  1  Tim. 
1  :  15,  "This  is  a  faithful  saying","  &c.,  as  most  suitable  to 
my  experience.'  When  asked  if  Bro.  Yates  should  pray, 
he  said,  '  Yes,  but  let  us  sing  first.'  He  then  selected  that 
beautiful  hymn, 

'  Jesus,  I  love  thy  charming  name,' 

and  gave  it  out,  and  sung  himself  the  first  two  and  the  last 
verses.  It  was  exceedingly  aff'ecting  to  hear  his  tremulous 
voice,  at  this  his  last  efibrt  to  sing  on  this  side  eternity, 
repeat  the  last  verse,  so  very  appropriate  to  his  circum- 
stances and  congenial  to  his  feelings  : 

'  I  '11  speak  the  lienors  of  thy  name, 
With  my  last  laboring  breath, 
And,  dying,  clasp  thee  in  my  arms, 
The  antidote  of  death.' 

After  this  he  rapidly  declined,  and  on  hearing  the  hope  ex- 
pressed that  he  could  say  'The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done,' 
he  replied,  '  I  would  rather  say,  Noto  let  me  die  ;  noio  let 
thy  servant  depart  in  peace.'  When  it  was  added,  '  When 
you  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  you 
need  fear  no  evil,'  he  immediately  caught  the  allusion  to 
the  twentj'^-first  Psalm,  and  replied,  '  No,  the  Lord  is  my 
shepherd,  I  shall  not  want.  He  even  noto  maketh  me  to  lie 
down  in  green  pastures.'  To  Bro.  Penny,  who  asked  him 
how  he  felt,  he  said,  '  I  am  well ;  I  have  still  a  good  hope  ; 
I  am  on  the  foundation.'  At  another  time  he  said,  'I  have 
not  the  smallest  idea  of  recovery,  and  therefore  do  now 
most  solemnly  commit  my  soul  into  the  hands  of  my  Sa- 
viour. Blessed  be  God  that  he  ever  called  me  by  his 
grace  I '  It  was  added,  '  Yes,  blessed  be  he  ;  for  where  he 
hath  given  grace,  there  he  hath  promised  to  give  glory ;  ' 
to  which  he  replied,  '  Yes,  he  hath  loved  me  with  an  ever- 


MRS.    PARIS.  323 

lasting  love,  and  therefore  with  loving  kindness  hath  he 
drawn  me.'  He  soon  after  this  became  incapable  of 
thought,  and  said  no  more."  —  Eng.  Bap.  Miss.  Her.,  Sept., 
1826. 

MRS.   SCUDDER. 

Mrs.  Scndder,  wife  of  Dr.  Scudder,  was  born  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  August,  1795,  and  was  married  January, 
1816.  They  arrived  in  Ceylon,  Dec,  1819.  They  removed 
to  Madras  in  1836,  and  in  that  city  Mrs.  Scudder  died, 
Nov.  19th,  1849.  After  being  informed  that  her  disease 
was  fatal,  she  said,  "  My  only  burden  in  dying  is  the 
thought  that  three  of  mj'-  children  (out  of  ten)  are  in  an 
impenitent  state."  When  nearer  her  end,  she  remarked,  in 
respect  to  herself,  "  I  am  a  poor,  miserable  sinner,  full  of 
imperfections  ;  heaven  will  be  glorious,  because  there  will 
be  neither  sin  nor  imperfection  there."  Twice,  with  great 
emphasis,  she  said,  "  What  a  wretched  place  is  a  death-bed 
to  prepare  for  eternity  !  What  a  miserable  being  should  I 
now  be,  if  I  had  not  Jesus  to  rest  upon  !  "  and  then  added, 
"Precious  Saviour!"  Again  she  said,  "I  have  had 
seasons  when  I  felt  that  I  knew  I  loved  the  Saviour,  and 
that  he  was  precious  to  me."  Again  and  again  she  ex- 
claimed, "  Blessed  Saviour  !  "  On  one  occasion  she  said, 
"  Thou  knowest  all  things  ;  thou  knowest  that  I  have  de- 
sired to  love  thee  ;  "  and  she  repeated  the  followhig  lines  : 

"  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul, 
Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly  ; 
While  the  billows  near  me  roll, 
While  tlie  tempest  still  is  nigh." 

She  repeated,  also,  the  following  verse,  "  Yea,  though  I 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear 
no  evil,  for  thou  art  with  me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff,  they 
comfort  me ; "  and  she  added,  "  Surely,  goodness  and 
mercy  have  followed  me  all  the  days  of  my  life."  Just 
before  she  died,  she  opened  her  eyes  and  exclaimed,  with 
peculiar  energy,  "  Glorious  heaven  !  glorious  salvation  !  " 
Soon  after  this,  she  voluntarily  closed  her  eyes,  and  sweetly 
fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1850,  p.  73. 

MRS.  PARIS. 

Mrs.  Paris  was  a  native  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  embarked 
with  her  husband  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in  November, 


324  DYING   TESTIMONY    OF   MISSIONARIES. 

1840.  She  died  at  Ililo,  February,  184T.  On  being  told 
that  there  was  no  hope  of  her  recovery,  she  lay  silent  for 
five  or  ten  minutes,  and  then,  calling  her  husband  to  her 
side,  she  said,  "  You  must  not  be  anxious  about  me.  I 
commit  all  to  the  Lord,  to  live  or  to  die.  I  have  had  a 
strong  desire  to  be  spared,  for  jour  sake  and  that  of  our 
dear  little  ones  ;  they  will  need  a  mother's  care,  instruc- 
tions, and  watchfulness.  But  not  my  will,  but  his  be  done, 
lie  has  always  been  good  to  me,  —  infinitely  better  than  I 
deserve ;  let  us  leave  all  with  him ;  his  time  is  best." 
When  asked  respecting  her  spiritual  state,  she  replied,  "  I 
have  no  distressing  fears  ;  I  know  that  I  love  the  Saviour, 
and  that  he  loves  me.  I  sometimes  shrink  from  the  thought 
of  death,  and  the  cold  grave  ;  but,  when  I  look  beyond,  all 
is  calm  —  all  is  peace.  The  Saviour  himself  is  gone  to  pre- 
pare us  mansions  in  heaven,  and  he  has  said,  *  I  will  come 
again  and  receive  you  to  myself.'"  —  "It  is  a  precious 
thought,"  it  was  remarked  to  her,  "that  we  shall  meet 
again  in  our  Saviour's  likeness,  no  more  to  part,  no  more 
to  suffer,  no  more  to  sin."  —  "0  yes,"  she  exclaimed,  "  it 
is  a  precious,  a  glorious  thought !  We  shall  meet  again, 
and  meet  with  the  whole  family  of  Christ.  He  is  the  head, 
we  are  the  members.  We  shall  all  be  joined  to  our  living 
head."  After  a  short  pause,  she  said,  "  The  Saviour  can 
give  us  such  a  view  of  his  glory,  as  to  remove  all  fear  of 
death."  Her  husband  said  to  her  one  morning,  a  little  be- 
fore her  death,  "It  is  very  repugnant  to  our  natural  feel- 
ings to  look  into  the  grave,  and  see  our  bodies  crumbling 
to  dust."  —  "Yes,"  said  she,  "but  I  look  beyond  the 
grave  ;  I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake  with  God's  like- 
ness. I  long  to  depart ;  to  go  and  be  with  my  blessed 
Saviour."  Heai-ing  the  phrase,  "the  dark  valley  and 
shadow  of  death,"  she  inquired,  "  What  does  that  mean  ? 
I  do  not  understand  it.  I  look  upon  death  very  differently. 
Jesus  will  come  and  take  the  soul  to  himself.  It  will  be 
released  from  its  crumbling  house  of  clay,  and  wafted  to 
the  realms  of  immortal  glory.  The  valley  does  not  look 
dark  to  me  now,  but  perliaps  it  may.  But  I  think  it  will 
not  be  dark  to  me  anywhere,  if  my  Saviour  is  with  me  ; 
and  he  will  never,  no,  never  leave  me."  On  another  occa- 
sion, and  during  a  night  of  great  pain,  she  would  often 
say,  "  It  is  just  right.  It  is  my  Father  ;  I  love  to  lie  pass- 
ive in  his  hands  —  to  know  no  will  but  his."  Again  she 
said,  "  0,  how  sweet,  how  precious,  are  the  promises  of 


MES.    CASTLE.  325 

God  !  I  love  to  take  him  at  his  word.  Ilis  word  is  truth  — 
everlasting  truth  ;  it  can  never,  never  fail."  One  night, 
when  near  her  end,  she  urged  her  husband  to  seek  rest  in 
sleep,  to  which  he  objected,  fearing  she  might  die  at  any 
moment.  "0,"  said  she,  "you  ought  not  to  say  so;  it 
would  be  a  blessed  end  to  swoon  away  into  the  arms  of 
my  Saviour,  and  awake  in  his  image.  Do  not  be  afraid.  If 
Jesus  should  come  and  take  me  away  from  your  side,  with- 
out a  struggle  or  groan,  you  would  not  grieve."  Her  hus- 
band asked  her  if  she  had  any  preference  as  to  where  she 
should  be  buried  ;  to  which  she  replied,  "No,  my  thoughts 
have  been  above.  It  is  but  little  consequence  what  becomes 
of  this  body  ;  I  leave  that  with  you."  Then,  breaking  out, 
she  exclaimed, 

*'  0,  for  a  sight,  a  pleasing  sight, 

Of  our  Almighty  Father's  throne  ! 
There  sits  our  Saviour,  crowned  with  light. 
Clothed  in  a  body  like  our  own." 

She  then  said  to  her  husband,  "  When  the  hour  of  my 
departure  comes,  I  wish  to  have  all  silent  and  still.  It  is 
often  thought  that  everybody  must  crowd  around  the  dying 
bed.  I  wish  to  have  my  children,  one  on  each  side  of  me, 
and  you  by  my  pillow.  I  wish  them  to  see  their  mother 
die,  when  all  is  calm,  and  there  is  nothing  to  distract." 

On  another  occasion  Mr.  Paris  read,  "  On  Jordan's 
rugged  banks  I  stand ;  "  and  spoke  of  Bunyan's  river  of 
death,  remarking  that  she  now  stood  on  the  brink  of  that 
river ;  to  which  she  replied,  "  I  do  not  like  that  view  of 
death.  Our  blessed  Saviour  has  told  us  that  he  Avill  come 
again  for  his  own,  and  receive  them  to  hiinself  I  love  to 
believe  his  words,  and  to  commit  my  soul  to  him.  If  he 
take  me  to  himself,  death  is  swallowed  up  in  victor3\  What 
are  all  the  dark  valleys  and  rivers,  if  Jesus  is  with  us  !  " 

"  Morning  was  breaking  upon  the  mountains  of  Hawaii, 
and  a  morning  of  immortal  brightness  was  dawning  on  her 
soul.  Her  mortal  powers  gently  gave  way  ;  the  silver  curd 
was  loosed,  and  she  quietly  left  us  for  the  bosom  of  her 
Saviour."  — il/tss.  Uer.,  1847,  p.  364. 

MRS.    CASTLE. 

Mrs.  Angelina  D.  Castle,  was  a  native  of  Plainfield,  N.  Y., 
and  sailed  for  the  Sandwich  Islands  with  her  husband,  Mr. 
S.  N.  Castle,  in  the  autumn  of  1830.     Iler  term  of  mission- 

28 


326  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

aiy  service  was  short.  A  little  before  her  death  she  said  to 
her  husband,  "  I  can  hold  out  but  a  little  long-er.  Tell  my 
parents  I  die  young-,  and  in  an  uiiexpucted  manner,  but  I 
do  not  regret  having  devoted  myself  to  the  missionary 
work."  To  a  sister  who  stood  near,  a  few  hours  before  her 
death,  she  remarked,  "  I  am  anticipating  a  delightful  change 
in  being  transported  from  earth  to  heaven,  from  the  society 
of  friends  to  that  of  angels."  This  was  her  general  state 
of  mind  ;  but  at  times  she  suffered  severe  mental  conflicts. 
On  the  Sabbath  before  her  death,  she  said,  "  1  see  I  am  not 
fit  for  heaven  yet ;  pray  for  me  that  I  may  not  be  devoured 
by  the  adversary'-,  for  I  am  distressed  with  temptations." 
During  the  last  day  or  two,  however,  nothing  was  heard 
from  her  but  expressions  of  tranquillity  and  triumph.  As 
her  hour  drew  near,  she  was  in  distress,  amounting  to 
agony,  and  yet,  gasping  for  breath,  she  whispered,  "  If 
heaven  be  thus  glorious.  Lord sing."  The  liymn,  "Jeru- 
salem, my  happy  home,"  was  sung,  and  also,  "  When  languor 
and  disease  invade."  AVithin  five  minutes  of  her  death, 
she  once  or  twice  distinctly  whispered,  "  Precious  ;  "  and, 
in  reply  to  her  husband,  who  said,  "  Having  loved  his  own, 
he  loved  them  to  the  end,"  she  replied,  "  No  doubt  of 
that."  With  this  she  ceased  to  breathe. — Hiss.  Her., 
1842,  p.  240. 

REV,   H.    M.   ADAMS. 

Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Enosburgh,  Vt.,  in  Nov.,  1823, 
graduated  at  Amherst  College  in  1851,  and  sailed  for  Africa 
in  the  autumn  of  1854.  He  was  connected  with  the  Ameri- 
can mission  in  West  Africa  a  little  less  than  two  years,  and 
died  at  his  post.  A  narrative  of  his  sickness  and  death 
is  given  by  a  fellow-laborer,  Mr.  Bushnell,  who  says, 
"  Such  a  sleep,  or  rather,  awakening  into  eternal  life,  it  has 
never  been  my  privilege  to  witness  before."  Sa3's  the  nar- 
rative, "  About  the  middle  of  the  fourtl»  day,  his  sight  and 
speech  having  be(Mi  for  several  hours  paral3^zed,  he  revived, 
and  broke  forth  in  a  most  rapturous  strain,  describing,  as 
with  an  angel's  voice,  the  glorious  visions  which  wore 
opened  to  his  view,  and  the  ecstasy  that  filled  his  soul.  For 
more  than  half  an  hour  he  continued  in  this  blissful  state, 
rejoicing  and  longing  to  depart,  comforting  those  who  were 
weeping  around  him,  and  describing  the  bright  and  glorious 
future  which  he  saw  for  this  mission,  and  for  poor,  dark 
Africa  ;  and  then  closed,  by  saying,  '  Now  let  me  go  ;  yes, 


REV.    H.    M.    ADAMS.  327 

I  am  going;  my  speech  on  earth  is  finished.'  Those  who 
witnessed  the  closing  scenes  say,  '  The  full  realil y  ca,n  never 
be  felt  but  by  those  who  wore  present,  who  heard  with  their 
ears,  and  saw  with  their  eyes,  seeing  his  face  as  it  had  been 
the  face  of  an  angel.'  "  Another  brother,  Mr.  Walker,  writes  : 
"  All  say  that  there  was  no  appearance  of  aberration  of 
mind,  and  no  excitement  of  the  imagination,  but  the 
whole  scene  was  marked  by  the  calm  placidity  which  char- 
acterized our  dear  brother  in  all  he  did  and  all  he  said. 

"  After  he  had  been  quiet  for  some  time,  exhausted,  but 
apparently  engaged  in  silent  prayer,  suddenly  starting  up, 
witli  great  animation,  he  exclaimed,  '  I  hear  music  —  beau- 
tiful music  —  the  sweetest  melodies  !  I  see  glorious  sights  ! 
I  see  heaven  !  Yes,  the  gates  are  open  ;  let  me  go.  I  want 
no  more  of  earth  ;  detain  me  no  longer  :  let  me  go  !  I  started 
once,  but  I  saw  demons.  I  saw  the  chains  of  hell,  and  was 
afraid  !  But  now  1  see  another  view,  —  0,  how  beautiful ! 
0,  wonderful,  wonderful  views  I  have !  0,  the  love  of 
Christ,  the  love  of  Christ,  to  save  such  a  sinner  as  I  have 
been  !  I  have  been  very  unfaithful  to  him,  and  yet  he  gives 
me  such  sweet  visions  of  glory  as  these  ! ' 

"  Addressing  those  who  stood  around  his  bed,  he  said,  in 
tender  accents,  '  I  see  you  now,  and  my  tongue  is  unloosed. 
I  see  you  wiping  your  eyes.  Weep  not  for  me.  I  am 
happy.  I  am  sorry  for  you,  brethren,  to  leave  you  to  toil 
on  alone.  Would  that  you  could  be  with  me  here  !  Be 
faithful,  and  God  will  bless  you.  I  have  been  praying  most 
earnestly  for  this  mission,  and  trying  to  gain  evidence  that 
it  will  not  be  broken  up.' 

"  After  some  conversation,  starting  again,  he  exclaimed, 
with  emphasis,  '  Yes,  God  has  showed  me  —  I  knew  he 
would  —  what  he  is  going  to  do  for  Africa.  Africa  shall  be 
I'edeemed  !  Brethren,  glorious  times  are  coming  !  These  peo- 
ple ivill  be  converted,  and  all  this  land  shall  be  the  Lord's  ! 
Tell  Christians  in  America  that  it  will.  0,  why  will  they 
not  cease  wrangling,  and  wake  up,  and  know  the  blessed nei---; 
of  engaging  in  this  work  ! '  The  boys  belonging  to  the  school 
coming  in,  arrested  his  attention,  and  ho  raised  his  voice, 
and  cried  out,  *  Banabame,  bishambe,  bishambe,  bishambe  !  ' 
(My  children,  beautiful,  beautiful,  beautiful  !  )  Then,  ad- 
dressing them  in  English,  he  said,  '  I  want  you  all  to  become 
Christians,  and  go  and  teach  your  countrymen.  Why  do  I 
linger?  I  am  going;  I  am  going;  the  cords  of  life  are 
breaking  !     0,  the  pain  —  no,  the  bliss  of  dying  !     There  is 


328  DYING   TESTIMONY   OF   MISSIONARIES. 

no  pain.  Blissful,  blissful,  blissful!  Who  could  have  thought 
that  /should  have  seen  these  glorious  views  !  Wonderful, 
wonderful,  wonderful  things  I  see  !  '  A  cup  of  water  was 
handed  him,  and  he  remarked,  '  You  are  very  kind.  A  cup 
of  cold  water,  given  in  the  name  of  Christ,  shall  not  lose 
its  reward.  I  am  satisfied  ;  my  thirst  is  quenched  with 
the  waters  of  life.  Sweet  waters,  beautiful  fountains  are 
there  I ' 

"  At  another  time,  he  said,  '  I  shall  be  the  first  missionary 
buried  at  Nengenenge,  and  I  am  glad  it  is  so,  and  hope  my 
ashes  will  be  the  seed  of  a  church  here.  I  rejoice  that  I 
came  to  Africa  !  How  wonderful  that  I  should  have  been 
permitted  to  engage  in  this  work,  and  then  be  brought  to 
enjoy  such  visions  of  glory  as  these  !  The  bliss  of  this  hour, 
alone,  is  a  recompense  for  a  life  of  toil  and  suffering.  I  am 
going  !  —  I  am  going  !  —  but  I  have  no  fears  ;  all  is  bright.'  " 

Thus  this  missionary  servant  passed  to  his  rest.  Mr, 
Bushnell  says,  "  Our  brother  was  a  man  of  God,  indeed. 
He  walked  with  God,  and  is  not,  for  God  has  taken  him,"  — 
Jour,  of  Hiss.,  1856,  p.  89. 

EEV,  SAMUEL    AVHITNEY, 

Mr.  Whitney  was  one  of  the  first  missionaries  of  the 
American  Board  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  He  spent  about 
twenty-six  years  in  that  field,  and  died  in  1855,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-three.  As  he  gradually  failed,  under  the  influence  of 
his  disorder,  he  felt  that  he  was  dying,  and  requested  that 
he  might  be  raised  up.  He  then  said,  with  great  emphasis, 
"And  is  the  victory  won?  Glory,  glory,  glory!  Hail, 
glorious  immortality  !  Can  it  be  that  this  is  death  ?  That  I, 
a  poor  wretch,  who  all  my  life  have  been  afraid  of  death, 
have  come  to  this  ?  Here  all  is  peace,  and  light,  and  joy. 
The  Saviour  has  me  by  the  hand,  leading  me  along.  I  soon 
shall  be  in  heaven."  His  attendant  remarked,  "  There  is  a 
blessed  assembly  of  friends  there." — "Yes,"  he  said, 
"  and,  more  than  all  that,  Jesus  is  there.  He  has  never 
forsaken  me  ;  he  is  near,  he  is  with  me  now."  —  Report  of 
American  Board,  1846. 

REV.  J.  S.  EVERETT, 

Mr.  Everett,  for  many  j^ears  missionary  of  the  American 
Board  at  Constantinople,  died  March  1st,  1856.  In  a  letter, 
descriptive  of  his  last  hours,  Mr.  Hamlin  says  :  "A  solemn 
and  holy  joy  filled  his  soul.     He  expressed  a  willingness  to 


REV.    J.    S.    EVERETT.  329 

live  and  labor  for  Christ,  but  he  desired  to  depart  and  be 
with  him.  He  had  the  fullest  confidence  in  Christ  as  his 
Saviour.  To  liim  he  committed  the  whole  work  of  liis  sal- 
vation, with  such  unquestioning  faith,  that  he  had  no  more 
doubt,  apparentl^^  of  his  salvation,  than  of  his  existence. 
His  reiterated  language  was,  '  I  know  in  whom  I  have  be- 
lieved.' 'I  have  not  a  shadow  of  doubt.'  'I  have  no 
fear  of  death  ;  why  should  I  have  ?  Christ  hath  abolished 
death  ;  he  hath  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light.' 

"  I  have  never  been  permitted  to  witness  a  death-bed 
scene  more  entirely  calm  and  peaceful,  more  full  of  holy 
confidence  in  Christ,  of  patience,  love,  joy,  and  hope,  and 
of  all  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  than  marked  tlie  six  restless 
days  and  nights  through  which  our  brother  Everett  passed 
to  his  rest.  During  tlie  last  two  days  his  mind  was  pecu- 
liarly clear,  and  his  whole  soul  was  absorbed  in  contempla- 
tions of  heaven,  and  in  the  wonders  of  that  redeeming  love 
which  now  pervaded  all  his  powers  of  thought  and  feeling-. 
After  expressing  his  delightful  anticipations  of  soon  meet- 
ing his  wife  and  two  children,  with  other  departed  mission- 
ary friends,  he  said  to  me,  'We  have  had  many  pleasant 
hours  together  in  our  missionary  life  ;  but  we  must  now 
separate  for  a  little  while.  It  will  be  for  a  very  short  period. 
You  will  soon  finish  j'our  work,  and  then  we  shall  meet  in 
heaven  !  0,  blessed  God  !  0,  blessed  Saviour  !  0,  blessed 
company  of  the  redeemed  !  Can  such  a  man  as  I  am  behold 
such  eternal  glories  ?  '  Again,  in  the  same  frame  of  heavenly 
contemplation,  he  exclaimed,  '  0,  the  riches  of  the  love  of 
Christ !  It  is  unspeakable.  I  have  no  words  to  express  it. 
I  do  not  think  so  much  now  of  the  departed  ;  it  is  He,  their 
Master,  whom  I  desire  to  behold.' 

"  He  was  about  to  leave  his  four  motherless  children  in  a 
strange  land,  to  the  exclusive  care  of  a  doubly-bereaved  sis- 
ter. Their  sainted  mother  had  dedicated  them  to  God  ;  he 
had  renewed  that  dedication.  He  said  he  felt  sure  that  he 
should  meet  all  his  children  in  heaven,  'Sumner,  Ellen, 
Lizzie,  and'  (his  voice  failing,  he  rallied  his  waning  powers, 
and,  conquering  the  conqueror,  said,  clearly)  '  Susie  !  Not 
one  of  them  will  be  wanting.'  He  thus  left  them  with  the 
most  delightful  and  unreserved  confidence  in  a  covenant- 
keeping  God.  The  shades  of  death  were  gathering  fast 
about  him.  The  beautiful  hymn,  '  Asleep  in  Jesus,'  which 
his  wife  desired  to  have  sung  in  her  last  moments,  was  sung 
at  his  x'equcst.  A  brief  petition  was  offered  ;  and  then  we 
28* 


330  DYING   TESTIMONY    OF   MISSIONARIES. 

waited  with  almost  breathless  silence  to  see  the  flickering' 
lamp  of  life  go  out.  To  our  surprise,  his  voice  was  to  be 
heard  once  more.  Life  again  beaming-  from  his  eye,  he  said, 
as  his  sister  was  bending  ovan*  him,  '  0,  death  !  where  is  thy 
sting'  ?  0,  grave  !  where  is  thy  victory  ? '  His  next  act  of 
worship  was  not  with  us,  but  with  the  church  triumphant. 
lie  'fell  asleep,'  but  so  gently  was  it,  that  we  could  not 
mark  the  moment  of  his  departure.'"  —  Journal  of  Missions, 
1856,  p.  42. 

MRS.  HENRIETTA  A.  L.  HAMLIN". 

Mrs.  Hamlin  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  was  married  to 
Rev.  Cyrus  Ilamlin,  missionary  of  the  American  Board  at 
Constantinople,  and  died  in  1850,  in  the  island  of  Rhodes, 
to  which  place  she  had  resorted  for  health.  Being  aware 
that  she  would  not  long  survive,  preparation  was  made  for 
baptizing  her  infant  child.  The  dying  mother,  her  five 
daughters,  and  the  husband  and  father,  constituted  the 
entire  company.  This  affecting  scene  being  over,  they 
conversed  of  heaven  and  its  employments.  "  0,  what  a 
consolation  in  death,"  she  exclaimed,  "to  look  forward  to 
such  a  gracious  God,  and  such  a  glorious  heaven  !  "  Of 
this  sacred  hour  her  husband  remarks,  "  I  can  truly  say  it 
was  the  happiest  evening  I  ever  passed  in  her  society. 
Yes,  knowing  that  my  children  would  soon,  very  soon,  be 
motherless,  and  I  bereaved  of  an  incomparable  and  most 
affectionate  wife,  I  still  felt  an  elevated  happiness  which 
seemed  to  have  no  alloy,  I  said  to  myself,  '  The  battle  is 
fought,  the  victory  is  won  ;  henceforth  there  remains  noth- 
ing but  the  crown  of  glory.'  " 

Mrs.  Hamlin  failed  rapidly,  and  passed  through  a  period 
of  fearful  agony.  Although  too  weak  to  lift  a  spoon  to  her 
mouth,  she  turned  and  writhed  with  pain.  On  hearing  the 
sufferings  of  the  Saviour  alluded  to,  she  exclaimed,  "  0,  what 
suflerings,  what  sufferings  were  his  !  Mine  are  nothing  ; 
and,  besides,  so  much  less  than  I  deserve.  I  have  had  great 
mercies  through  all  mj'^  sickness."  Two  days  afterwards  she 
expressed  a  stnnig  desire  to  go  and  be  with  Christ ;  and 
seemcid  so  happy  that  her  husband  thought  she  was  free, 
also,  from  bodily  pain,  till  at  evening  she  remarked  that  she 
had  been  near  suffocation  all  day.  The  closing  scene  at 
length  came.  Her  distress  for  breath  suddenly  left  her, 
when  she  said,  "  I  can  breathe  freely  now.  How  gracious 
the  Lord  has  been  to  me  I     Do  join  me  in  praising  him  !  " 


MRS.   MARY   W.   WINSLOW.  331 

Her  husband  offered  thanksgiving  for  this  relief;  and, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  she  said,  "  Blessed  Saviour ! " 
and  seemed  wrapt  in  contemplation  of  Him,  whose  glo- 
ries she  was  so  soon  to  behold.  Her  husband  says,  "I 
knelt  and  kissed  her,  and  said,  '  Farewell,  my  dear  Henri- 
etta I  May  the  Lord  Jesus  send  his  angels  to  guide  you 
to  himself  She  returned  my  kiss,  and  said,  '  How  de- 
lightful—  delightful  the  thought!  but,  can  we  be  sure 
that  he  always  sends  them,  and  to  one  so  unworthy  ? ' 
I  was  about  to  reply,  when  she  added,  in  a  voice  singularly 
sweet,  '  The  Lord  bless  my  husband  ;  the  Lord  bless  my 
children,  and  my  unworthy  self  She  attempted  to  say 
more,  but  death  sealed  her  lips,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she 
slept  in  Jesus.  I  fell  down  and  gave  thanks  to  God  for 
such  a  sweet  and  happy  release,  and  for  the  consolation  I 
had  in  regarding  her  as  already  with  the  Lord."  — Jour,  of 
Miss.,  1851,  p.  15. 

MRS.  MARY  W.  WINSLOW. 

Mrs.  Winslow  (Mary  W.  Billings)  was  born  in  Conway, 
Massachusetts,  in  1810,  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  R.  0. 
Dwight,  and  accompanied  him  as  missionary  to  the  East. 
Mr.  Dwight  died  suddenly,  of  Asiatic  cholera,  and  she  was 
subsequently  married  to  Rev.  Miron  Winslow,  of  Madras. 
She  died  in  April,  1842.  Lj'ing  just  on  the  verge  of  the 
grave,  she  said,  "  I  have  never  regretted  coming  to  India, 
though  I  have  suffered  greatly  from  ill-health."  She  was 
in  a  sweet  frame  of  mind,  though  in  great  bodily  suffering. 
She  said,  "  The  righteousness  of  Christ  is  all  my  hope. 
Christ  is  all.  I  have  no  raptures  ;  but  all  is  peace.  I  seem 
to  be  going  gently  down  the  banks  of  the  river  ;  Jesus  is 
with  me.  How  precious  his  blood  and  righteousness  !  " 
Reminding  her  husband  of  the  hymn  they  had  sung  together 
on  the  preceding  Sabbath,  — 

"  Thine  earthly  Sabbaths,  Lord,  Tve  love, 
But  there  's  a  nobler  rest  above,"  — 

she  said,  "I  shall  soon  be  where  congregations  ne'er  break 
up.  0,  the  delights  of  an  eternal  Sabbath  !  "  A  little 
later  she  requested  a  favorite  hymn  to  be  sung,  beginning, 
"  When  I  can  read  my  title  clear,"  and  she  dwelt  much  on 
the  last  stanza, 

"  There  I  shall  bathe  my  weary  soul 
In  seas  of  heavenly  rest, 


332  DYING   TESTIMONY    OF   MISSIONARIES. 

And  not  a  ■wave  of  trouble  roll 
Across  this  peaceful  breast." 

This  accorded  with  her  feeling's,  and  filled  her  soul  with 
joy.  "  What  a  hope,"  she  exclaimed,  "  for  weary  pilgrims, 
that  their  conflict  with  sin  and  sorrow  will  soon  cease,  and 
tliey  will  be  holy  !  Glorious  hope  !  We  are  saved  by  hope." 
She  expressed  anxiety  for  her  children,  and  said  to  her  hr.s- 
band,  "  See  that  you  bring  all  the  children  home."  As  her 
spirit  was  just  departing,  her  husband  and  Miss  Scudder 
once  more  sung,  "Rock  of  Ages."  Iler  breath  and  pulse 
were  nearly  stopped,  her  extremities  were  cold,  her  eyes 
were  almost  fixed  ;  but,  when  they  came  to  the  line,  "  When 
my  eyelids  close  in  death,"  she  unexpectedly  opened  them 
widely,  and  looked  upon  her  husband  and  friends  with  a 
look  of  full  intelligence,  and  love,  and  happiness.  She  then 
gently  closed  them,  and  all  was  over.  "Thus,"  says  Dr. 
Scudder,  "  passed  away  a  veiy  sweet  and  trusting  spirit, 
'looking  unto  Jesus.'  "  —  Jour,  of  Miss.,  1853,  p.  11. 

DB.  JUDSOMT. 

Rev.  Adoniram  Judson,  so  well  known  to  all  the  friends 
of  missions,  has  left  on  record  a  dying  testimony  which 
cannot  be  too  much  or  too  praj^erfully  pondered.  The  sub- 
joined account  is  from  the  statements  furnished  by  his  wife  : 

"  Only  a  little  while,"  he  repeated,  mournfully  ;  "  this 
separation  is  a  bitter  thing  ;  but  it  does  not  distress  me 
now  as  it  did  ;  I  am  too  weak."  —  "  It  is  the  opinion  of  the 
mission,"  I  remarked,  "that  jou  will  not  recover."  —  "I 
know  it  is,"  he  replied  ;  "  and  I  suppose  they  think  me  an 
old  man,  and  imagine  it  is  nothing  for  one  like  me  to  resign 
a  life  so  full  of  trials.  But  I  am  not  old,  at  least  in  that 
sense  —  you  know  I  am  not.  0,  no  man  ever  left  this 
world  with  more  inviting  prospects,  with  brighter  hopes,  or 
warmer  feelings  —  warmer  feelings!"  —  he  repeated,  and 
burst  into  tears.  To  some  suggestions,  which  I  ventui-ed 
to  make,  he  replied,  "  It  is  not  that  —  I  know  all  tliat,  and 
feel  it  in  my  inmost  heart.  Lying  here  on  my  bed,  when 
I  could  not  talk,  I  have  had  such  views  of  the  loving 
condescension  of  Christ,  and  the  glories  of  heaven,  as  I 
believe  are  seldom  granted  to  mortal  man.  It  is  not  be- 
cause I  shrink  from  death  that  I  wish  to  live  ;  neither  is  it 
because  the  ties  which  bind  me  here,  though  some  of  theni 
are  very  sweet,  bear  any  comparison  with  the  drawings  I  at 


DR.    JUDSON.  333 

times  feel  toward  heaven  ;  but  a  few  years  would  not  be 
missed  from  my  eternity  of  bliss,  and  I  can  well  afford  to 
spare  them,  both  for  your  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  poor 
Burnians.  I  am  not  tired  of  my  work,  neither  am  I  tired  of 
the  world  ;  yet,  when  Christ  calls  me  home,  I  shall  go  with 
the  gladness  of  a  boy  bounding  away  from  his  school. 
Perhaps  I  feel  something  like  the  young  bride,  when  she 
contemplates  resigning  the  pleasant  associations  of  her 
childhood,  for  a  yet  dearer  home  —  though  only  a  very 
little  like  her  —  for  there  is  no  doubt  resting  on  viy  future." 

"  Then  death  would  not  take  you  by  surprise,"  I  re- 
marked, "  if  it  should  come  even  before  you  could  get  on 
board  ship  ?  "  —  "  0,  no,"  he  said,  "  death  will  never  take 
me  by  surprise  —  do  not  be  afraid  of  that  —  I  feel  so  strong 
in  Christ.  lie  has  not  led  me  so  tenderly  thus  far,  to  for- 
sake me  at  the  very  gate  of  heaven.  No,  no  ;  I  am  willing 
to  live  a  few  j^ears  longer,  if  it  should  be  so  ordered  ;  and, 
if  otherwise,  I  am  willing  and  glad  to  die  now."  The  next 
day  Mrs.  Judson  inquired  if  he  still  felt  as  when  she  con- 
versed with  him  on  the  night  previous  ;  to  which  he  replied, 
"  0,  yes  ;  that  was  no  evanescent  feeling.  It  has  been  with 
me,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  for  years,  and  will  be  with 
me,  I  trust,  to  the  end.  I  am  ready  to  go  to-day  —  if  it 
should  be  the  will  of  God,  this  very  hour  ;  but  I  am  not 
anxious  to  die  —  at  least,  when  I  am  not  beside  myself  with 
pain." 

Beyond  this,  little  is  said  of  Dr.  Judson's  last  hours,  and 
nothing  more  needed  to  be  said.  He  died  at  sea,  and  was 
lowered  to  his  ocean-grave.  —  Amer.  Bap.  Mag.,  1851,  p.  2. 


MISCELLANEOUS  FACTS  AND  NARRATIVES. 


The  mattei-  arranged  under  this  head  is  such,  in  general, 
as  did  not  belong,  appropriately,  to  either  of  the  preceding 
chapters  ;  though  a  few  items  have  been  inserted  here  which 
would  have  appeared  elsewhere  had  they  been  met  with  in 
season.  As  a  conclusion  to  the  work,  such  a  chapter  as  the 
present  was  found  indispensable,  in  order  to  avoid  the  omis- 
sion of  passages  which  seemed  valuable,  from  their  novel, 
instructive,  or  suggestive  character. 

A  QUESTION  FOR  CHBISTIAlSrS. 

At  a  public  gathering  of  natives  near  Madura,  Southern 
India,  after  the  missionary  had  read  to  them  part  of  the 
tract  entitled  "  Good  Opportunity,"  the  men  asked  where 
Christ  or  his  followers  were.  "  It  is  now,"  said  they,  "  the 
fourth  age  of  the  world,  and  never  till  the  missionaries  came 
liere  did  we  hear  of  this  religion.  Where  has  it  been  all 
this  time  ?  Who,  and  how  many,  are  its  followers  ?  Where 
do  they  live  ?  If  it  was  intended  for  us,  why  have  we  not 
known  it  before  ?  Have  all  our  ancestors  who  died  without 
it  gone  to  hell  ?  "  They  were  told  that  most  of  the  people 
in  America  and  in  Europe  were  professedl}''  Christians  ; 
upon  which  one  of  them  exclaimed,  "  What  1  and  suffer  us 
to  go  to  hell  for  so  many  ages  without  even  coming  to  tell 
us  about  it!  What  kind  of  religion  is  that?"  —  Hiss. 
Her.,  1840,  p.  156. 

FACTS  FOR  THE  FRIENDS   OF  MISSIONS. 

The  principal  English  missionary  organizations,  are  :  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the  Society  for  the  Prop- 
agation of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society,  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  the  Wes- 
leyan  Missionary  Society,  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 


PEAYER   ALWAYS   ANSWERED.  835 

the  Societyfor  Promoting  Christianity  among-  the  Jews,  the 
Home  Missionary  Society,  the  Colonial  Missionary  Society, 
the  Irish  Evangelical  Society,  the  Moravian  Missionary 
Society,  the  City  of  London  Missions.  These  societies 
embrace  about  all  the  missionary  contributions  of  the  Brit- 
ish Christians  ;  and  the  amount  contributed  to  them  all  in 
fifty  years,  from  1800  to  1850,  was  fourteen  and  a  half  mil- 
lions of  pounds  (£14,500,000), — more -than  sixty  millions 
of  dollars.  A  noble  monument,  surely,  to  British  Christian- 
ity !  But  there  is  another  fact  to  be  laid  by  the  side  of  this. 
During  the  same  period  of  fifty  years  England  expended  for 
war  upwards  of  twelve  hundred  millions  of  pounds  !  —  about 
ninety  times  as  much  in  learning  men  to  destroy  soul  and 
body,  as  in  eflecting  human  salvation!  The  war  expenses 
of  England  for  one  year —  1851  —  were  estimated  at  £15,- 
555,171  ;  that  is, the  English  people  paid  more  in  one  year 
for  war,  by  one  million  of  pounds,  than  was  paid  in  fifty 
years  for  the  cause  of  missions  by  all  the  abovenamed  mis- 
Bionaiy  societies! — Am.  Miss.,  vol.  vi.,  p.  14. 

A  FAMILY  OF  MISSIONAHIES. 

There  is  a  small  kingdom  in  the  Germanic  Confederation 
which  sends  out  more  missionaries,  in  proportion  to  its 
numbers,  than  any  other  land  in  the  world.  It  is  the  king- 
dom of  Wirtegaberg,  in  the  south-west  of  Germany.  Says 
Mr.  Schauftler,  of  Constantinople,  "There  died  lately  in 
West  Africa,  one  of  the  missionaries  educated  at  Basle, 
brother  Dauble,  who  labored  in  connection  with  the  mission- 
ary society  of  North  Germany.  His  elder  brother  died  last 
year,  in  the  east  of  Bengal,  where  he  had  labored  as  a  mis- 
sionary. A  third  brother  is  preparing  for  the  missionary 
work  in  the  institution  at  Basle.  Two  sisters  of  the  family 
are  married  to  missionaries  in  Africa  and  America,  and  a 
third  sister  is  ready  to  leave  her  country  to  go  to  West 
Africa.  The  father  of  this  devoted  family  has  five  children 
more,  and  says  the  Saviour  may  have  more  of  them  for  his 
work  if  he  will." — Jour.  o/Mis.^.,  July,  1854. 

PKAYER  ALWAYS  ANSWERED. 

Mrs.  Judson,  in  a  letter,  says  of  Dr.  Judson,  that  after 
she  had  read  to  him,  on  one  occasion,  from  a  religious  jour- 
nal, an  account  of  a  scries  of  happy  results  that  had  flowed 
from  his  labors,  "his  eyes  were  filled  with  tears;  but  still 
he  spoke  playfully,  and  in  a  way  that  a  little  disappointed 


336  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS   AND   NAERATIVES. 

me.  Then  a  look  of  almost  unearthly  solemnity  came  over 
him,  and,  cling-ing-  to  my  hand,  as  though  to  assure  himself 
of  being  really  in  the  world,  he  said,  '  Love,  tliis  frightens 
me.  I  do  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  What !  why  what 
have  you  just  been  reading  to  me  ?  I  never  was  deeply 
interested  in  any  object,  I  never  prayed  sincerely  and 
earnestly  for  anything,  but  it  came  —  at  some  time  —  no 
matter  at  how  distant  a  day  —  somehow,  in  some  shape,  it 
came.  And  yet  I  have  always  had  so  little  faith  !  May 
God  forgive  me  ;  and,  while  he  condescends  to  use  me  as 
his  instrument,  wipe  the  sin  of  unbelief  from  my  heart.'  " 
This  interesting  scene  occurred  about  a  fortnight  before  Dr. 
Judson's  death.  — Ilemoir  of  Judson,  p.  36. 

CHEISTIANS  INSTRUCTED  BY  A  HEATHEZST. 

A  missionary  in  India,  passing  near  some  tank-diggers, 
who  were  getting  ready  to  repair  a  road,  noticed  that  one  of 
them  looked  towards  the  sun  in  a  posture  of  worship,  and 
then  took  up  his  crowbar  and  touched  his  forehead  with  it, 
by  way  of  religious  reverence,  before  he  began  to  dig.  The 
man,  being  asked  why  he  paid  such  reverence  to  the  sun,  and 
to  his  crowbar,  replied  that,  as  without  the  light  of  the  sun 
he  could  not  work,  and  without  the  instrument  he  could  not 
dig,  and,  as  he  was  dependent  on  both  for  his  daily  bread,  he 
worshipped  them.  What  a  lesson  to  those  who  know  their 
dependence  on  God  for  all  things,  and  yet  never  worship  him  1 
Will  not  the  heathen  rise  up  in  judgment  against  such  ? 

TKAINITTG  CHILDREN  FOR  THE  MISSIONARY  "WORK. 

Mrs.  Grant,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Grant  of  the  Nestorian  mis- 
sion, wrote  a  letter,  from  her  foreign  field,  to  a  pious  lady 
in  New  England,  but  suppressed  it,  owing  to  the  great 
d(!licacy  she  felt  in  speaking  of  anything  pertaining  to  her- 
self In  the  letter,  which  was  published  after  her  decease, 
she  said,  "  I  like  to  see  children  begin  early  to  contribute 
to  the  missionary  cause,  from  their  own  little  stores.  I 
well  remember  an  incident  which  occurred  when  I  was 
seven  years  old.  Indeed,  to  it  I  trace  my  present  employ- 
ment in  the  missionary  field.  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  Averc 
about  to  depart  for  the  Sandwich  Islands  from  an  adjoining 
town.  A  box  was  proposed  by  the  ladies  of  our  village, — 
Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y., —  and  the  things  were  mostly  prepared 
and  packed  at  our  house.  My  mother,  to  encourage  benev- 
olent feelings  in  me,  desired  me  to  put  into  the  box  a  pair 


NEW   ZEALAND    TASTE   IN   DRESS.  337 

of  mittens  of  which  I  was  very  foud.  After  a  little  struggle 
I  o-ave  them  up  ;  and,  from  that  moment,  felt  a  deep  interest 
in"the  Sandwich  Islands  mission.  I  always  hailed  the  arrival 
of  the  '  Missionary  Herald  '  with  joy,  and  eagerly  seized  it  to 
find  the  accounts  from  that  mission.  I  was  accustomed  to 
regard  those  islands  as  the  probable  field  of  my  future  labor  ; 
foi"  I  anticipated,  even  from  that  early  period,  with  much 
pleasure,  the  time  when  I  should  engage  in  the  missionary 
Avork."  —  3Iiss.  Her.,  1839,  p.  281. 

NEW    ZEALAND   TASTE  IN"  DRESS. 

The  New  Zealanders,  after  beginning  to  adopt  the  Euro- 
pean modes  of  dress,  in  imitation  of  the  mission  families, 
furnished  occasion  for  much  innocent  amusement.  Rev, 
Mr.  Yate  says,  "  At  times  they  cut  a  most  grotesque  appear- 
ance in  their  new  clothing ;  as,  how  many  articles  soever  a 
man  possess,  he  will  frequently  manage  to  have  them  all  on 
at  once.  His  trousers,  perhaps,  will  be  tied  round  his 
neck,  his  shirt  put  on  as  trousers,  and  his  jacket  the  wrong 
way  before,  or  turned  inside  out.  The  women,  if  they 
happen  to  have  two  or  three  gowns,  will  put  them  all  on  ; 
and  they  will  manage  so  to  arrange  their  dress,  as  to  have 
some  part  of  each  visible.  I  am  now  alluding,  not  to  those 
who  reside  in  the  mission  families,  but  to  those  who  reside 
in  their  own  native  villages.  I  have  seen  a  person  come 
into  chapel,  at  whose  monstrous  appearance  I  had  the 
greatest  difficulty  to  restrain  a  smile.  The  sleeves  of  an 
old  gown  had  been  drawn  on  as  a  pair  of  stockings  ;  two 
small  baskets  fastened  on  the  feet  as  shoes  ;  and  one  gown 
over  another,  so  placed  that  you  could  see  the  flounce  of 
one,  the  body  of  a  second,  the  sleeves  of  a  third,  and  the 
collar  of  a  fourth ;  with  a  piece  of  an  old  striped  shirt 
thrown  carelessly  over  the  shoulders  as  a  shawl,  or  a  pair 
of  trousers  hung  round  the  neck  as  a  boa  ;  but  so  arranged 
as  not  to  conceal  any  other  article  of  dress.  I  have  seen  a 
person,  thus  decked  and  adorned,  enter  a  chapel  in  the  midst 
of  service,  without  exciting  the  slightest  attention  from  the 
assembled  congregation,  to  whom  it  did  not  appear  at  all 
strange  ;  but  it  is  now  very  seldom,  even  in  the  most  dis- 
tant villages,  that  we  meet  with  any  specimens  of  this  kind, 
as  we  have  invariably  endeavored  to  correct  their  taste, 
and  the  wives  of  missionaries,  in  supplying  them  with  tliese 
articles,  have  given  them  directions  how  to  wear  them."  — 
Yale^s  New  Zealand,  p.  159. 
29 


338  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS   AND    NARRATIVES. 

AN   INDIAN"    CHIEF'S    CONCLUSION. 

Much  difficulty  was  experienced  at  one  time  by  the  mis- 
sion, among'  the  Sioux  Indians,  from  the  opposition  of  one 
of  their  cliiefs.  Much  effort  was  made  to  reclaim  him,  and 
convince  him  of  the  fully  and  wickedness  of  idolatry,  and  of 
the  trutli  of  Christianity  ;  and,  finally,  he  so  far  yielded  as 
to  say  that  he  should  be  "willing-  to  embrace  the  religion 
of  the  missionaries,  if  he  could  do  it  loilhoiit  abandoning  his 
oivn!  "  An  answer  truly  characteristic  of  the  natural  heart 
everywhere.  —  Miss.  Her.,  1849,  p.  212. 

A   PUZZLING   QUESTION. 

Mr.  Bushnell,  of  the  Gaboon  mission,  West  Africa,  wrote, 
under  date  of  April  20,  1850,  concerning  an  old  head-man, 
who  desired  to  have  a  missionary  in  his  town.  On  being 
told  that  there  were  no  more  missionaries,  he  asked,  "  Why 
don't  you  make  a  book  and  send  to  America  for  more  mis- 
sionaries ?  I  think  plenty  live  there." —  "  Yes,"  said  Mr. 
Bushnell ;  "  but  their  country  is  cold,  and  yours  is  hot ;  if 
they  come  perhaps  they  will  die."  The  old  chief  hesitated 
a  little,  and  then  replied,  "  Frenchman's  country  no  be  cold 
country  too  ?  Plenty  Frenchmen  come  here.  Why  don't 
they  fear  ?  Englishman's  country  no  be  cold  country  ? 
But  many  Englishmen  come  here  to  make  trade.  Why  no 
fear  to  he  sick  and  die  ?  Why  do  missionaries  fear  to 
come  ?  "  The  old  heathen  had  no  philosophy  to  explain 
why  missionaries  should  fear  to  go  on  their  business  where 
others  dared  to  go  for  trade  and  gain. 

"ANYTHING    TO    DISTKACT    THE    BRAIN." 

A  midshipman  of  an  English  man-of-war,  while  stopping  at 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  wanted  some  rum,  but,  owing  to  the 
force  of  public  sentiment,  he  was  afraid  to  speak  the  name. 
He  accordingly  went  from  shop  to  shop,  among  the  traders, 
asking,  "  Do  you  keep  anything  here  ?  "  —  "  What  thing  ?  " 
asked  the  grocer.  "  Anything  to  distract  the  brain?  "  He 
was  answered,  "  No  ;  "  and  went  off  sadly  disappointed, 
denouncing  it  as  a  "wretched  dry  place."  — Miss.  Herald, 
1846,  p.  355. 

ORIGIN    OF    THE    ENGLISH   BAPTIST    MISS.    SOCIETY. 

The  first  publication  of  this  society  commences  with  the 
following  words  :  "  The  origin  of  this  society  will  be  found 
in  the  workings  of  our  brother  Carey's  mind  ;  which,  for  the 


A   SUBTLE   QUESTIOX.  339 

last  nine  or  ten  years,  has  been  directed  to  this  ohject,  with 
very  Httle  intermission.  His  heart  appears  to  have  been 
set  upon  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  before  he  came  to 
reside  at  Moulton,  in  1786."  A  sister  of  Mrs.  Carey  also 
testified  that  "  she  had  again  and  again  observed  him  in 
the  attitude  of  intense  thought,  the  subject  of  which,  as  it 
afterwards  appeared,  was  the  state  of  the  heathen  world. 
She  had  often  seen  him  standing,  for  an  hour  or  more,  in  the 
middle  of  a  path  in  his  garden,  abstracted  from  outward 
objects  by  the  workings  of  a  mind  that  had  begun  to  devote 
itself  to  a  vast  and  newly-contemplated  project."  Dr.  Ry- 
land  adds,  "  As  to  the  origin  of  a  Baptist  mission,  I  believe 
God  himself  infused  into  the  mind  of  Carey  that  solicitude 
for  the  salvation  of  the  heathen,  which  cannot  fairly  be 
traced  to  any  other  source."  —  Hist,  of  Bap.  3Ess.  Soc,  vol. 
L,  p.  5. 

THE    SELF-DENIAL    BOX. 

At  an  annual  missionary  meeting  in  London,  in  1847,  one 
of  the  speakers  related  some  facts  in  regard  to  a  juvenile 
missionary  society  in  his  own  congregation,  called  the 
"  Youthful  Branch  Society."  Children  not  more  than  eight 
years  old  belonged  to  it.  One  of  these,  a  little  boy,  came 
to  his  mother,  saying,  "  We  have  some  superfluities  in  the 
course  of  the  year ;  may  we  put  them  into  the  box  for  the 
missionaiy,  and  call  it  the  self-denial  box?" 

A    SUBTLE    QUESTION. 

A  curious  fact  is  related  by  Dr.  Wright,  of  the  Nestorian 
mission  in  Persia,  relative  to  Avine-drinking.  The  custom 
is  strictly  forbidden  by  Mussulmans,  and,  while  some  care- 
fully regard  the  law,  others  raise  very  nice  questions  of 
casuistry.  For  instance,  one  of  the  most  scrupulous  of  their 
number,  asked,  "  If  a  drop  of  wine  were  to  fall  into  a  well 
one  hundred  yiirds  deep,  if  afterwards  the  water  should 
fail,  and  the  well  be  filled  up  with  earth,  and  a  grain  of 
wheat  be  planted  in  that  earth,  and  the  product  of  that  grain 
be  eaten  by  a  sheep,  and  that  sheep  mingle  with  a  flock, 
would  the  whole  flock  become  impure  ?  "  This  rigid  casuist 
declared,  "  For  my  part,  I  believe  it  would,  and  I  would 
never  taste  of  the  meat."  Into  nonsense,  approximating  to 
this,  will  an  uneducated  conscience  often  carry  the  reason- 
ings of  much  more  enlightened  people,  on  the  temperance 
and  other  moral  questions.  —  Miss.  Her.,  1843,  p.  (U. 


340  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS    AND   NARRATIVES. 

SWEABERS  BEPKOVED. 

A  Cejionese  youth,  member  of  a  school  in  connection  with 
the  Wesleyan  mission,  was  converted,  and  subsequently 
employed  to  teach  the  native  language  to  the  missionary. 
Eeturning"  one  day  from  his  usual  employ,  he  met  a  party 
of  English  sailors,  who  were  much  intoxicated,  and  were 
using  very  profane  language.  Being  greatly  shocked  at 
this,  he  ran  into  the  midst  of  them,  saying,  "  What  for  you 
wicked  men  make  swear,  and  take  God's  name  in  vain  F  " 
This  unexpected  address  astonished  them,  and  they  ex- 
claimed, "  Why,  the  Methodists  are  come  to  this  country 
also  !  "  and  turning  to  the  young  man  they  asked,  "  Are  you 
a  Methodist  ?  "  —  "I  don't  know,"  he  replied,  "  what  that 
is  ;  but  I  will  go  and  ask  the  missionary  what  I  am."  He 
continued  to  address  them,  asking,  "Have  you  got  a  Bible  ? 
because,  if  you  not  got  Bible,  I  will  go  and  ask  missionary  to 
give  you  one.  There  you  learn  that  commandment.  Thou 
shalt  not  take  -the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain  ;  and  so, 
when  you  know,  you  not  make  swear  again,  and  do  bad." 
The  rebuke  Avas  well  received,  and  they  promised  not  to 
swear  any  more. 

BEGINNING  OP  THE  MORAVIANS. 

The  Moravian  Brethren,  having  for  several  years  labored 
to  propagate  tlie  Gospel  in  European  countries,  wore  led  to 
interpret  the  command  of  Christ,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,"  as  binding  on 
them,  and  they  longed  for  an  opportunity  of  obeying  it.  In 
this  spirit  they  consulted  together,  as  early  as  1128,  on  the 
practicability  of  converting  Greenlanders,  negro  slaves,  and 
other  barbarous  nations,  to  the  faith  of  Christ.  They  saw 
little  prospect  at  that  time  of  realizing  their  hopes,  but  they 
were  encouraged  by  Count  Zinzcndorf,  who  declared  it  to 
be  his  confident  persuasion  that  the  Lord  would  open  to  the 
Brethren  a  door  of  utterance  among  the  heathen.  Two  years 
after  this,  a  circumstance  occurred  which  prepared  the  way 
for  the  accomplislmient  of  their  desires.  Count  Zinzendorf, 
being  in  Copenhagen,  on  a  public  occasion,  his  domestics 
became  acquainted  with  a  negro  from  the  West  Indies,  whose 
account  of  the  deplorable  condition  of  the  slaves  in  that  coun- 
try greatly  quickened  the  desire  of  the  Brethren  to  preath 
the  Gospel  to  them.  Two  young  men,  Leonard  Dober  and 
Thomas  Lenpold,  were  particularly  stirred  up  to  devote 
themselves  to  this  service.  Many  objections  were  i-aised, 
and  the  opposition  delayed  them  a  whole  year,  till  finally, 


THE    TESTAMENT    AND    THE    DOG.  341 

at  the  sug-g-estion  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  it  was  ag-reed  to  have 
the  question  decided  by  lot,  "agreeably  to  the  practice  of 
tlie  ancient  Brethren's  church."  This  being-  done,  the  lot 
decided  that  they  should  go,  and  these  brethren  commenced 
the  first  foreign  mission  of  the  Moravians  in  1832.  The 
next  year  two  of  the  Brethren,  greatly  moved  by  the  exam- 
ple of  Dober  and  Leupold,  burned  with  desire  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  Greenlanders,  and  one  year  later,  in  1833, 
Matthew  Stach  and  Frederick  Boenisch  started  on  a  mission 
to  that  frozen  and  desolate  region.  Such  were  the  begin- 
nings of  a  S3"stem  of  missionary  labors,  unequalled  in  respect 
to  early  struggles  and  hardships,  and  unsurpassed  in  zeal, 
patient  continuance,  and  success. — Holmes's  Hist,  of  (he 
Brethren,  p.  215. 

"ORDER  OF   THE  GRAIN"  OF  MUSTARD-SEED." 

A  society  with  this  name  was  formed  in  its  Academy  at 
Halle,  about  1710.  The  order  was  formed  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Count  Zinzendorf,  then  a  student  in  that  institution, 
and  only  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age.  The  fundamental  rules 
of  this  order  were,  "  that  its  members  should  steadfastly 
maintain  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  and  walk  worthily  of  it ;  ex- 
ercise charity  towards  their  neighbors,  and  more  especially 
endeavor  to  promote  the  conversion  of  Jews  and  heathen." 
That  Zinzendorf,  a  5'oung  nobleman,  destined  for  worldly 
honors,  should,  at  that  early  age,  have  engaged  with  his  fel- 
low-students in  the  exercises  of  religion,  and  have  formed 
with  them  the  "  Order  of  the  grain  of  mustard-seed,"  —  in 
part  a  missionary  society, — sufficiently^  shows  the  bent  of  his 
mind,  and  accounts  for  the  remarkable  events  of  his  life,  and 
the  leading  part  he  acted  as  patron  and  leader  in  the  Church 
of  the  United  Brethren.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  Zinzendorf 
was  removed  by  his  friends  from  Halle  to  Wittemburg,  that 
he  might  be  rid  of  the  company  of  the  "Pietists,"  as  all 
those  were  contemptuously  called,  who  inculcated  the  neces- 
sity of  vital  and  practical  religion. 

THE  TESTAMENT  AND   THE  DOG. 

One  day  a  poor  Bechuana  (there  is  a  large  tribe  of  that 
name  in  Western  Africa)  came  to  Mr.  Mofl'at,  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  with  the  sad  story  that  his  dog  had  torn 
his  Testament  to  pieces,  and  had  actually  eaten  some  of  the 
leaves.  He  was  the  more  grieved  about  this,  because,  he 
said,  the  dog  had  been  very  useful  to  him,  guarding  his 
property  from  wild  beasts  and  hunting  them,  and  now  he 
29* 


342  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS   AND    NAREATIVES. 

feared  the  animal  would  be  good  for  nothing'.  Mr.  Moifat, 
not  quite  understanding  hira,  told  him  he  need  not  be  con- 
cerned, for  he  could  get  another  Testament.  But  the  simple- 
minded  African  replied,  "  I  am  afraid  the  dog  will  be  of  no 
further  use  to  me,  for  the  words  of  the  New  Testament  are 
full  of  love  and  gentleness,  and  after  the  dog  has  eaten  them, 
it  is  not  likely  that  he  will  hunt  or  fight  for  me  any  more." 
Of  course  he  soon  found  out  his  -mistake.  But  what  would 
this  converted  African  say,  if  he  knew  that  thousands  in 
Christian  lands  were  all  their  lives  feeding,  as  it  were,  on 
the  leaves  of  the  Bible,  without  being  made  any  m6re  gentle 
and  Christ-like  than  was  the  senseless  dog  ? 

A  SINGULAR  MORAL  PHILOSOPHY. 

A  missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  was 
invited  by  a  slaveholder  in  Jamaica,  to  come  and  instruct 
his  slaves.  lie  went,  and  on  getting  his  plantation  audi- 
ence together,  commenced  preaching  to  them  from  a  pas- 
sage which  referred  to  Sabbath-breaking.  He  bore  down 
quite  hard  on  this  sin,  the  slavemaster  all  the  while  looking 
disturbed  and  angry  ;  and  when  the  discourse  was  ended  he 
rose  from  his  seat,  under  great  excitement,  and  said,  "  I  don't 
believe  that.  Now,  my  negroes,  stop  ;  I  brought  this  man 
here  to  teach  morality  and  industry— th-At  is,  that  you  are  not 
to  steal  from  your  owner,  nor  to  be  idle  while  you  ax'e  at  work ; 
but  instead  of  that  he  has  been  finding  fault  with  me,  which, 
to  say  the  least,  is  ungentlemanl}''  conduct.  Now,"  said  he, 
"  I  will  expose  the  fallacy  of  all  that  he  has  said.  lie  has 
told  you  it  is  wrong  to  violate  the  Sabbath  ;  but  he  must 
have  forgotten  that  the  law  respecting  the  Sabbath  Avas 
given  some  thousands  of  years  before  the  West  India  Idand^^ 
ivere  discovered,  and  therefore  it  could  have  no  adaptation  to 
fJial  part  of  the  world!  "  Tiie  missionary  answered  this  sage 
cavil,  and  when  he  had  done,  tlie  slave  audience  —  about 
three  hundred  —  burst  into  loud  laughter,  one  of  them  say- 
ing, "Ah,  massa  parson  have  been  too  many  for  buckra." 
—  Land.  Mias.  Mag.,  1844,  p.  92. 

A  PRAYING  MACHINE. 

In  the  Church  Missionary  Gleaner,  England,  a  description 
was  given,  a  few  years  since,  of  a  praying  machine,  much  in 
use  among  the  Tartars  and  Lamas.  This  machine  consists 
of  a  wooden,  iron,  or  copper  cylinder,  over  which  is  wound 
a  narrow  roll  of  paper  or  cloth,  on  which  their  idols  and 


GOOD    OUT   OF   EVIL. 


343 


symbols  are  painted,  and  on  which  also  their  prayers, 
either  printed  or  written,  are  contained.  This  machine, 
being-  properly  set  in  a  frame,  is  turned  by  a  handle,  and 
thus  the  prayers  are  "  told,"  with  as  much  sincerity  and 
sense  probably,  as  the  devotee  of  Popery  counts  his  beads. 
This  machine  is  called  a  mani,  and  is  of  various  sizes,  some- 
times being  very  large,  for  the  service  of  the  temples,  and 
sometimes  small  enough  to  carry  about  in  the  hand.  The 
people  have  such  manis,  or  prayer-wheels,  built  even  in 
small  streams  close  to  their  houses,  so  that  the  water,  by 
turning  the  wheel,  performs  the  necessary  prayers  for  them. 
The  thought  is  unavoidably  suggested  that  some  Chris- 
tians, better  taught,  drag  through  their  devotions  in  so 
tedious  and  reluctant  a  manner,  that  they  would  apparently 
be  glad  of  a  machine  going  by  water,  to  "do  up"  their 
religion  for  them. 

THINKING  ABOUT  THE  SHEEP. 

A  missionary,  while  reading  a  tract  to  a  company  of 
people  in  Southern  India,  observed  that  from  time  to  time 
some  went  into  the  next  house  for  a  moment,  and  when  one 
returned  another  went.  When  the  tract  was  half  read,  a 
woman,  who  had  expressed  great  readiness  to  hear,  came 
forward  and  said,  "  Sir,  we  should  like  to  hear  more,  but 
we  have  something  to  do.  We  have  this  evening  killed  a 
sheep,  and  are  just  making  it  ready.  Now,  our  hearts  are 
thinking  about  the  sheep,  and  so  we  cannot  liearken  well  to 
what  is  read.  Gome,  therefore,  at  another  time,  when  we 
shall  be  able  to  attend  with  our  hearts."  All  the  others 
confirmed  this,  and  joined  in  the  request.  The  missionary 
told  them  they  might  die  before  he  came  again,  and  then 
they  could  do  no  more  for  their  souls  ;  to  which  they 
replied,  "That  is  true,  but  now  we  are  thinking  of  our 
sheep."     IIow  like  the  heathen  are  many  in  Christian  lands 

—  ever  "  thinking  of  the  sheep,"  when  the  word  is  preached  I 

—  Church  Miss.  Becord,  1834,  p.  66. 

GOOD  OUT  OF  EVIL. 

When  the  terrible  persecution  against  the  Protestants 
broke  out  in  Constantinople,  about  1846,  it  drove  all  the 
persecuted  to  Pera,  where  the  missionaries  resided,  and 
whore  they  had  opportunities  for  mutual  sympathy  and 
religious  improvement.  There  "they  pra3^ed,  and  fasted, 
and  wept,  and  rejoiced  together ;  and  it  seemed  a  special 


344  MISCELLANEOUS    FACTS   AND    NARRATIVES. 

providence  tliat  compelled  them,  men,  women,  and  children, 
to  be  not  onl}'-  '  of  one  accord,'  but  'in  one  place.'  "  Three 
years  after  this,  great  changes  occurred  in  Pera.  The  mis- 
sion families  at  that  place  were  dispersed,  and  also  the 
Protestants  who  had  fled  thither  for  safety.  Says  Mr. 
Goodell,  "  Our  prayei'-meeting^  our  singing-meetings,  our 
maternal  meetings,  our  family  gatherings,  our  social  inter- 
views, and  all  other  such  pleasant  and  profitable  seasons  as 
we  have  enjoyed  together  these  man}^  years,  are  now  inter- 
rupted." This  dispersion  was  caused,  not  by  persecution, 
but  by  frequent  fires,  drought,  &c.  Meanwhile,  persecution 
had  ceased,  and  there  was  toleration  in  Constantinople  and 
all  its  suburbs.  Now,  therefore,  the  exiled  Christians  could 
return  to  their  homes  and  their  friends,  without  fear  or  mo- 
lestation, to  exert  the  salutary  influence  for  which  their 
three  years  of  peculiar  advantages  had  prepared  them. 
Herein  was  the  hand  of  God  visible.  Persecution  had  been 
wonderfully  overruled  for  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel  ; 
many  were  acting  as  faithful  witnesses  for  the  truth  in  their 
own  neighborhoods,  and  light  was  difi'used  where  darkness 
might  still  have  reigned,  but  for  that  madness  of  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Gospel,  which  God  thus  caused  to  praise  him.  — 
3Iiss.  Her.,  1849,  p.  28. 

THE  WONDERS   OF  A  CHIP. 

In  his  description  of  the  building  of  a  chapel  in  the  island 
of  Rarotonga,  South  Seas,  Rev.  Mr.  Williams  relates  the 
following  amusing  incident.  He  says  :  "I  had  come  to  the 
work  one  morning  without  my  square,  and  I  took  iip  a  chip, 
and,  with  a  piece  of  charcoal,  wrote  upon  it  a  request  that 
Mrs.  Williams  would  send  me  that  article.  I  called  a  chief, 
who  was  superintending  his  portion  of  the  work,  and  said 
to  him,  'Friend,  take  this,  go  to  our  house,  and  give  it  to 
Mrs.  AVilliams.'  He  was  a  singular-looking  man,  remarka- 
bly quick  in  his  movements,  and  had  been  a  great  warrior  ; 
but,  in  one  of  the  numerous  battles  he  had  fought,  had  lost 
an  eye,  and,  giving  me  an  inexpressible  look  with  the  other, 
he  said,  '  Take  that !  she  will  call  me  a  fool,  and  scold  me, 
if  I  carry  a  chip  to  her.'  —  '  No,'  1  replied,  '  she  will  not ; 
take  it,  and  go  immediately  ;  I  am  in  haste.'  Perceiving 
me  to  be  in  earnest,  he  took  it,  and  asked,  '  What  must  I 
say  ?'  I  replied,  'You  have  nothing  to  say  ;  the  chip  will 
say  all  I  wish.'  With  a  look  of  astonishment  and  contempt, 
he  held  up  the  i)iecc  of  wood,  and  asked,  '  How  can  this 


TRUTH  TAUGHT  BY  AN  OATH.  345 

speak  ?  has  it  a  mouth  ?  '  I  desired  him  to  take  it  imme- 
diately, and  not  spend  so  much  time  in  talking*  about  it. 
On  arriving'  at  the  house,  he  gave  the  chip  to  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams, who  read  it,  threw  it  away,  and  went  to  the  tool- 
chest,  followed  by  the  chief,  who  appeared  determined  to 
see  the  result  of  this  mysterious  proceeding.  On  receiving 
the  square  from  her,  he  said,  '  Stay,  daughter,  how  do  you 
know  that  this  is  what  Mr.  Williams  wants  ?  '  —  '  Why/ 
she  said,  '  did  you  not  bring  me  a  chip  just  now  ?  '  —  '  Yes, 
but  I  did  not  hear  it  say  anything  to  you.'  —  '  If  you  did 
not,  I  did,'  was  the  reply;  'for  it  made  known  to  me  what 
he  wanted,  and  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  return  with  it  as 
quickly  as  possible.'  With  this  the  chief  leaped  out  of  the 
house,  and,  catching  up  the  mysterious  piece  of  wood,  he 
ran  through  the  settlement  with  the  chip  in  one  hand,  and 
the  square  in  the  other,  holding  them  up  as  high  as  his  arms 
would  reach,  and  shouting,  as  he  went,  '  See  the  wisdom  of 
the  English  people  ;  they  can  make  chips  talk  —  they  cau 
make  chips  talk  ! '  On  giving  me  the  square,  he  wished  to 
know  how  it  was  possible  thus  to  converse  with  persons  at  a 
distance.  I  gave  him  all  the  explanation  in  my  power  ;  but 
it  was  so  much  of  a  mystery  that  he  actually  tied  a  string  to 
the  chip,  hung  it  round  his  neck,  and  wore  it  for  some  time. 
AVe  frequently  saw  him,  surrounded  by  a  crowd,  who  wei'e 
listening  with  intense  interest,  while  he  narrated  the  won- 
ders which  the  chip  had  performed." —  Williams's  llissioH' 
arij  Enterpri>:es  in  South  Sea  Islands,  p.  126. 

A  LIAR'S  DEFENCE. 

A  native  of  Ceylon,  of  high  rank,  was  called  on  to  give 
evidence  at  a  trial,  and  swore  such  complete  falsehoods, 
that  he  was  imprisoned  for  perjury.  He  applied  to  the  Eng- 
lish governor,  and,  with  surprise,  asked  why  he  should  be 
punished  for  what  his  people  did.  "  My  father,"  said  he, 
"was  a  liar,  and  my  grandfather  was  a  liar,  and  my  great- 
grandfather was  a  liar,  and  we  are  all  liars.  It  is  the  cus- 
tom of  my  countr3^     Why  should  I  be  punished  ?  " 

TRUTH  TAUGHT  BY  AN  OATH. 

A  poor  African,  who,  according  to  his  own  expression, 
had  previously  "no  thoughts,"  and  considered  himself  "a 
mere  thing  "  and  never  suspected  even  that  there  was  a 
Creator  of  himself  and  others,  fell  in  with  a  profane  man, 
who  swore  by  the  Almighty  God.     He  inquired  who  that 


346  MISCELLANEOUS    FACTS   AND    NARRATIVES. 

■was  by  whom  he  swore,  and  was  answered  that  it  was  the 
King  of  heaven,  by  whom  all  things  were  made.  lie  ridi- 
culed the  idea,  and  said  there  was  no  such  King.  But  he 
was  assured  that  the  missionaries  taught  these  things  iu 
Natal.  He  immediately  made  his  way  to  Mr.  Marsli,  and 
became  most  inquisitive  about  God  and  his  soul  ;  put  him- 
self constantly  in  the  way  of  hearing  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  ;  learned  to  read  ;  and  now  gives  evidence  of  being 
truly  a  regenerated  soul.  Mr.  Marsh  says,  "  He  was  at 
once  anxious  for  his  friends  ;  ami  four  of  my  younger  boj's 
are  with  me  through  his  influence  ;  and,  as  I  hear  their 
praying  voices  from  behind  tiie  hill,  in  the  cold  dew  of  the 
morning,  I,  too,  am  encouraged  to  pra}'',  with  more  hope, 
that  they,  also,  may  become  the  children  of  God."  — Amer. 
Miss.,  vol.  IV.,  p.  42. 

OPIUM  AND   MISSIONS. 

"An  opium-smoker,"  says  a  missionary  in  China,  "  cannot 
be  trusted,  nor  safely  admitted  to  the  church  ;  "  and  he  adds, 
"  It  is  an  astounding  fact  that  the  money  which  Christian 
nations  have  received  from  this  nation  for  this  one  article, 
far  exceeds  all  the  money  which  has  been  expended  by  all 
Protestant  missions,  in  all  parts  of  the  heatlien  world,  since 
the  days  of  the  Reformation.  The  amount  of  money  yearly 
drawn  from  the  empire,  in  exchange  for  opium,  exceeds 
thirty  millions  of  dollars."  — Hiss.  Her.,  1851,  p.  152. 

A   NIGHT    IN    PBISON. 

During  the  persecutions  in  Constantinople  and  vicinity, 
twelve  of  the  evangelical  Christians  were  seized  by  the 
Turkish  police-officers  and  thrown  into  prison.  This  was 
done  on  pretence  of  crime,  and  merely  to  vex  those  of  "  that 
way."  They  remained  in  prison  one  night,  and  were  then 
liberated.  The  enemy  meant  it  for  evil,  but  God  overruled 
it  for  good.  The  twelve  brethren  were  confined  in  one 
room,  and  they  spent  most  of  the  time  in  singing  and  prayer, 
"  and  the  prisoners  heard  them."  Four  times  in  the  course 
of  the  night  did  the  Turkish  officer  in  command  send  for 
one  of  them  to  come  up  to  his  room,  to  answer  questions 
in  regard  to  this  so-called  "  new  wa}'' ;  "  and  he  heard  more 
about  the  Gospel  that  night  than  he  had  in  all  his  life  before, 
though  it  was  not  known  that,  like  the  jailer  at  Philippi,  he 
truly  rc^pcnted  of  his  sins.     Their  fellow-prisoners  were  of 


A    PERSECUTOR    AWAKENED.  347 

different  nations  ;  and  among  them  were  some  noisy  and 
blaspheming-  Greeks,  who  ridiculed  these  evangelical  men, 
and  told  the  Turkish  prisoners  that  they  were  infidels.  The 
Turks  replied  to  the  Greeks,  "  These  men  are  good  men, 
and  3^ou  are  the  infidels  ;  for  these  men  have  prayed  to  God 
several  times  in  the  course  of  the  night,  but  we  have  not 
seen  you  pray  once."*  The  Greeks  said,  "  We  pray  in  our 
hearts."  —  "No,"  replied  the  Turks,  "we  cannot  believe 
that  you  pray  in  your  hearts,  so  long  as  you  utter  so  many 
blasphemies  with  your  mouths.  Look  at  these  men  whom 
3'ou  call  infidels.  They  not  only  do  not  utter  blasphemies, 
but  all  their  words  are  good  words.  You  are  infidels,  and 
they  are  good  men."  —  "Surely,"  says  Mr.  Dwight,  "it 
is  worth  while  for  men  to  be  put  in  prison,  when  such  oppor- 
tunities are  given  for  preaching  the  word.  How  often  do 
Satan's  emissaries  overshoot  the  mark  I  "  — Miss.  Her.,  1846, 
p.  273. 

"WHEW   TO    BEPEWT. 

A  Sandwich  Islander  came  to  Mr.  Richards  one  day  with 
the  inquiry,  "  When  is  the  good  time  for  the  exercise  of 
i-epentance  ?  "  The  missionary  answered,  "Now,  and  at 
all  times."  He  inquired  again,  "  Is  it  proper  to  i-epent  at 
midnight  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  —  "  Is  it  proper  in  the  moi-ning  ?  " 
—  "  Yes."  —  "Is  it  proper  at  noon  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  —  "  Is  it 
proper  in  the  evening  ?  "  —  "  Yes." — "Isit proper  to  repent 
lying  down  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  —  "  Is  it  proper  to  repent  standing 
up?"  —  "Yes."  —  "Is  it  proper  when  I  am  in  the  sea 
bathing  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  —  "  Is  it  proper  when  I  am  in  my 
canoe  fishing  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  Then  he  exclaimed,  "  That  is 
very  good  ;  then  I  will  always  repent."  —  Hiss.  Her.,  1826, 
p.  145. 

A    PERSECUTOB    A"WAKE]SrED. 

Mr.  Dwight,  of  Constantinople,  relates  that  a  very  rude 
young  man,  of  great  muscular  power,  being  strongly  opposed 
to  the  evangelical  Armenians,  took  with  him  several  "lewd 
fellows,  of  the  baser  sort,"  and  went  out  one  Sunday,  with 
large  sticks,  to  a  place  in  the  field  where  he  knew  prayer  was 
wont  to  be  made,  determined  to  inflict  bodily  chastisement 
upon  the  brethren.  On  arriving  there,  the  leader  of  the 
meeting,  who  was  the  particular  object  of  their  hatred,  fixed 
bis  eyes  on  this  j'oung  man,  and,  calling  him  by  name,  held 
the  New  Testament  up  before  him,  and  said,  "  Is  there  any- 


348  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS   AND   NARRATIVES. 

thing  wrong  in  this  book,  that  you  wish  to  prevent  us  from 
reading  it  ?  "  The  young  man  was  immediately  overcome  ; 
he  threw  away  his  weapon,  and  forthwith  became  a  serious 
inquirer  after  the  truth.  He  was  hopefully  converted  ;  and, 
ill  his  turn,  was  persecuted  by  those  who  were  formerly  his 
companions  in  wickedness.  —  Ilisi.  Her.,  1844,  p.  356. 

A  PEKSECUTOB  SERVING  THE  CHUHCH. 

The  Armenian  patriarch  unwittingly  did  good  service  for 
the  cause  of  Christ,  at  one  time,  by  bitterly  persecuting  the 
evangelical  portion  of  the  Armenian  community.  Not  con- 
tent with  issuing  his  anathemas,  he  proceeded  to  shut  up 
the  shops  of  a  large  number  of  men,  and  turned  them  oiit 
of  employment.  Of  this  number  many  were  young  men, 
from  eighteen  to  twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  betook  them- 
selves to  the  mission  seminary  at  Bebek,  there  to  discipline 
their  minds  and  store  them  with  useful  knowledge  ;  to  study 
the  Bible  and  the  doctrines  and  history  of  the  church,  and 
become  qualified  to  wage  with  the  oriental  apostasy  an 
uncompromising  and  aggressive  war.  Thus,  while  the 
patriarch  exulted  in  having  interrupted  the  trades  and  cut 
ofl' the  income  of  the  evangelists,  this  portion  of  them  were 
sent,  by  this  very  means,  to  the  source  of  an  infinitely  richer 
merchandise  and  a  higher  employment.  This  is  one  of  the 
many  illustrations,  furnished  by  persecution,  that  a  man 
may  accomplish  a  vast  amount  of  good,  indirectly,  and  yet 
be  himself  all  the  while  increasingly  guilty  and  worthy  of 
condemnation.  "  If,"  says  Mr.  ilamlin,  "  the  patriarch 
shall  live  to  see  these  young  men  able  and  successful  pastors 
of  Protestant  churches,  he  will  bitterly  regret  the  madness 
of  his  present  course." — Hiss.  Her.,  1846,  p.  303. 

GIVING   AND    FEELING. 

A  missionary,  in  a  report  of  his  field  of  labors,  says,  "  I 
can  imagine  some  one  saj'ing,  as  he  reads  this  report, 
'  Well,  I  will  give  five  dollars  to  tlio  cause  ;  I  can  give  this 
amount  and  not  feel  it.'  Suppose,  my  Christian  brother, 
you  should  give  twenty  dollars,  and  feel  it.'' 

AN   EXTRAORDINARY    MAN. 

John  ITunt  was  a  singularly  stupid  ploughboy,  who  could 
scarcely  be  intrusted  with  such  simple  crraiids  as  are  usu- 
ally performed  by  ploughboys.  Oiten  he  might  be  seen 
Hitting  0)1  the  gate  of  a  field   staring  into  vacuity.     All  at 


AN   OFFERING   TO   SWA3IY.  349 

once,  when  the  love  of  God  touched  his  heart,  ihe  powers 
of  a  noble,  dormant  intellect  were  aroused.  He  quickly 
learned  to  read  and  write  ;  began  to  preach,  and  was  recom- 
mended as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry.  When  he  came  up 
to  London  for  examination,  every  one  said,  "  He  is  too  raw 
—  he  must  go  home  again,"  except  Dr.  Hannah,  who 
begged  to  take  him  a  while,  on  trial,  at  the  theological  insti- 
tution ;  "  for,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  believe  there  is  some- 
thing in  him."  He  was  right.  John  Hunt  commenced  a 
course  of  theological  study ;  corrected  his  barbarous  dialect ; 
studied  the  Greek  Testament  on  his  knees,  with  prayers 
and  tears  ;  preached  with  amazing  zeal  and  power  ;  proved 
himself  a  suj^erior  linguist ;  went  as  missionary  of  tlie  Wes- 
leyan  Society  to  the  Feegee  Islands  ;  reduced  the  barbarous 
jargon  of  those  islands  to  a  grammatical  form  ;  turned 
thousands  from  darkness  into  light ;  and  expired,  saying, 
"  0  that  I  could  run  up  to  the  top  of  Vewa  hill,  and  fill  the 
whole  island  with  a  shout  of  glory  !  "  —  Am.  Miss.,  vol.  vin., 
p.  86. 

AN    OFFERING   TO    SWAMY". 

During  the  extreme  money-pressure  of  1837,  when  the 
American  Board  was  obliged  to  curtail  its  operations  for 
want  of  funds,  the  mission  schools  at  Ceylon  were  many  of 
them  disbanded,  and  not  less  than  five  thousand  children, 
under  instruction,  were  turned  out,  and  exposed  to  all  the 
corruptions  and  dangers  of  heathenism.  In  a  description 
of  this  sad  scene,  one  of  the  missionaries  saj^s,  "  After  my 
usual  lessons  with  the  readers  in  the  schools  yesterday,  I 
gave  each  a  portion  of  the  Bible  as  a  present.  I  told  them 
the  reason,  exhorted  them  to  read  it,  not  to  enter  into 
temptation,  to  keep  the  Sabbath  holy,  prayed  with  them, 
commending  them  to  the  friend  of  little  children,  and  then 
sent  them  away — from  me,  from  the  Bible-class,  from  the 
Sabbath-school,  from  the  house  of  prayer — to  feed  on  the 
mountains  of  heathenism,  with  the  idols  under  the  green 
trees  ;  a  prey  to  the  roaring  lion,  to  evil  demons,  and  to  a 
people  more  ignorant  tlian  they,  even  to  their  blind,  deluded, 
and  deluding  guides  ;  ami  when  I  looked  after  them  as  they 
went  out,  my  heart  failed  me.  0,  Avhat  an  oflering  to 
Swamy  — fice  tliousand  children  !  "  It  was  shown  by  the 
missionaries  that  to  have  continued  the  schools,  from  which 
these  five  thousand  children  were  thrust  out,  up  to  the  com- 
mencement of  another  year,  when  the  fiinds  would  have 
30 


350  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS   AND    NARRATIVES. 

allowed  of  their  continuance,  would  have  cost  the  mission 
not  more  than  two  hundred  pounds.  So  that  on  the  Amer- 
ican churches  rested  the  responsibility  of  making  this  dread- 
ful sacrifice  to  Swamy  —  for  the  consideration  of  two  hun- 
dred pounds  !  — 3Iiss.  Her.,  May,  1838. 

MAKE  HASTE. 

In  New  Zealand,  an  old  man,  speaking'  of  the  need  of 
missionaries,  said,  "  Make  haste  !  make  haste  !  my  sun  is 
fast  going  down."  When  Rev.  Mr.  Jones,  an  English  mis- 
sionary, was  about  to  return  from  the  scene  of  his  labors, 
one  of  the  North  American  Indians  sent  with  him  this  mes- 
sage to  England,  showing  by  his  gestures,  while  he  spoke, 
how  deeply  he  was  in  earnest.  "  Tell  them  to  make  haste  ; 
time  is  short,  and  death  is  snatching  awaj''  our  friends  and 
relations  very  fast.     Tell  them  to  make  haste." 

A  PENITENT    AS    GOOD  AS    DEAD. 

Rev.  Mr.  Grout,  missionary  of  the  American  Board  among 
the  Zulus,  reports  the  following  speech,  made  to  him  by  a 
native.  It  is  a  fine  description  of  the  sense  in  which  a 
Christian, is  dead  to  the  world,  and  useless  for  all  the  pur- 
poses of  sin  and  wrong,  and  a  witness  to  the  reality  of  con- 
versions in  that  land.     The  Zulu  said  : 

"  Teacher,  white  man  !  We  black  people  do  not  like  the 
news  which  you  bring  us.  We  are  black,  and  we  like  to 
live  in  darkness  and  sin.  You  trouble  us  ;  you  oppose  our 
customs  ;  you  induce  our  children  to  abandon  our  practices  ; 
you  break  up  our  kraals,  and  eat  up  our  cattle  ;  you  will  be 
the  ruin  of  our  tribe.  And  now  me  tell  you  to-day,  if  you 
do  not  cease,  we  will  leave  you  and  all  this  region."  Upon 
Mr.  Grout's  explaining  that  the  missionaries  were  only 
seeking  their  good,  the  African  said,  "  But  j^ou  teach  re- 
pentance and  faith  ;  and  a  penitent,  believing  man  is  to  us 
as  good  as  dead.  lie  no  longer  takes  any  pleasure  in  our 
pursuits,  and  no  longer  labors  to  build  up  his  father's  kraal, 
but  leaves  it,  and  joins  the  church  ;  and  then  he  tries  to 
lead  others  away  to  the  station  after  him.  And  as  to  our 
cattle,  our  girls  and  our  women  are  our  cattle  ;  but  you 
teach  that  they  are  not  cattle,  and  ought  not  to  be  sold  for 
cattle,  but  to  be  taught  and  clothed,  and  made  the  servants 
of  God,  and  not  the  slaves  of  men.  That  is  the  way  you 
eat  up  our  cattle.  Many  have  left  us  and  been  engulfed 
at  the  station,  and  more  wish  to  leave  us.     And  now  if  you 


INFANTS   TAUGHT   IDOLATRY.  351 

continue  these  labors  and  instructions,  we  shall  just  leave 
you,  and  go  to  another  country."  It  is  hard  for  the  wicked 
to  live  where  the  Gospel  is  faithfully  preached  and  exempli- 
fied. —  Eeport  of  American  Board,  1853,  p.  48. 

ORIGIN"  OP  MONTHLY  CONCERT. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Baptist  Association  in  Nottingham, 
Eng.,  in  1784,  it  was  resolved  to  set  apart  an  hour,  on  the 
first  Mondaj'  evening  of  every  month,  "for  extraordinary 
praj'er  for  the  revival  of  religion,  and  for  the  extending  of 
Christ's  kingdom  in  the  world."  This  suggestion  proceeded 
from  the  venerable  Dr.  Sutcliflf,  the  intimate  friend  and 
associate  of  Carey.  It  had  much  to  do  in  preparing  the 
mind  of  the  latter  for  the  great  work  on  which  he  was  to 
enter,  and  has  resulted  in  a  religious  observance  as  impor- 
tant and  extensive  as  the  cause  of  missions  itself,  —  Hist,  of 
Eng.  Baptist  3Iiss.,  vol.  i.,  p.  10. 

A    QUESTION  OF  CONSCIENCE. 

An  Armenian  priest  came  to  Mr.  Dwight,  of  Constanti- 
nople, with  a  question  which  had  caused  him  much  per- 
plexity. He  said,  "  I  am  an  evangelical  Christian.  I  know 
that  many  things  in  my  church  are  lies.  I  am  called  upon 
to  do  many  things  as  a  priest,  which  my  conscience  tells 
me  are  wrong.  For  instance,  a  man  comes  to  me  with 
twenty  or  a  hundred  piastres,  and  asks  me  to  say  mass  for 
the  soul  of  his  deceased  father.  Now  I  know  that  this  is 
all  a  lie,  and  that,  if  I  receive  the  money  and  perform  the 
mass,  I  deceive  the  people,  and  my  conscience  tells  me 
this  is  wrong.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  I  have  no  other 
means  of  support.  What  is  it  my  duty  to  do  ?  "  He  was 
told  to  do  nothing  against  the  Gospel  and  his  own  con- 
science. Do  not  Protestant  Christians  often  resort  to 
iniquity  and  lies,  with  the  plea  that  it  is  their  "means  of 
support,"  without  even  so  much  conscience  as  the  priest, 
who  raised  the  question  of  "duty?" — Hiss.  Her.,  April, 
1837. 

INFANTS  TAUGHT  IDOLATRY. 

A  missionary  in  Northern  India  was  struck  with  the  pains 
taken  by  heathen  mothers  to  instil  the  name  and  reverence 
of  their  gods  into  the  minds  of  their  infants.  Many  he  saw 
doing  this,  even  before  their  children  could  articulate, 
teaching  them  to  join  the  cry,  "  jai  sitala,"  and  when  they 
could  not  say  sitala,  they  were  content  to  have  them  say 


352  MISCELLANEOUS    FACTS   AND   NAERATIVES. 

ihe  rest,  "jai/'  —  victory.  The  missionary  adds  :  "Could 
Christian  mothers  stand  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  and 
see  the  eflibrts  thus  spent  in  training  the  very  tirst  g'ernis  of 
intellect  to  the  habits  of  idolatry,  I  think  they  would  be 
stirred  up  to  more  dih'gence  in  giving  a  right  direction  to 
the  earliest  germs  of  intellect  in  their  own  offspring."  — 
3Iiss.  Her.,  1841,  p.  215. 

ABILITY  AND    DISPOSITION". 

Even  at  this  day  the  Moravian  Brethren  furnish  pastors 
for  a  body  of  heathen  converts  equal  to  five  times  their 
own  number.  If  Protestant  Britain  had  done  as  much  for 
the  cause  of  Christ,  eighty-five  millions  of  heathen  converts 
would  now  be  under  Christian  discipline  in  Protestant  mis- 
sionary stations ;  while  from  these  stations  the  whole 
heathen  world  would  be  receiving  instruction,  since  the 
proportion  of  missionaries  to  the  heathen  would  be  as  three 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  to  six  hundred  millions  ;  that 
is,  there  would  be  one  missionary  to  every  eighteen  hun- 
dred of  the  heathen,  and  there  would  be  numbers  of  native 
teachers  besides.  Should  any  one  ask,  Where  is  the  money 
to  come  from  ?  we  may  answer.  Where  were  the  funds  pro- 
vided by  which  the  early  Christians,  who  were,  almost 
without  exception,  poor,  carried  the  Gospel  into  all  the 
world  ?  What  were  the  resources  of  the  brethren  of  Ilerrn- 
hut  (Moravians),  which  enabled  them,  when  only  six  hun- 
dred in  number,  and  they  poor  exiles,  to  plant  within  ten 
years  Christian  missions  in  the  West  Indies,  in  North  Amer- 
ica, in  Tartary,  Greenland,  in  North  Africa  and  West  Africa, 
at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  in  Cej'lon  ?  They  were 
rich  in  zeal,  in  faith,  in  courage,  in  love  to  God  and  man, 
and  that  made  them  give  much  of  their  little,  and  made 
their  contributions,  though  small,  support  man}'-  laborers. 
With  these  examples  before  us,  we  may  not  talk  of  the  want 
of  money,  so  much  as  the  want  of  grace. —  Christian  Mis- 
aions  to  the  Heathen,  p.  311. 

WHERE  LAST  OF  ALL, 

A  Hindoo,  of  a  thoughtful,  reflecting  turn  of  mind,  but 
devoted  to  idolatry,  lay  upon  his  death-bed.  As  he  was 
himself  about  to  plunge  into  a  boundless,  unknown  future, 
he  cried  out,  "  What  will  become  of  me  ?  "  —  "  0,"  said  a 
Brahmin,  "you  will  inhabit  another  body."  —  "  And  where 
shall    I    go   then  I''  "  —  "  Into    another."  —  "  And   where 


THE    CAFFRE    AND    THE    BISHOP.  353 

then  ?  "  —  "  Into  another,  and  so  on  through  thousands  of 
millions  of  years."  Darting  across  this  whole  period,  as 
though  it  were  but  an  instant,  the  dying  man  cried,  "And 
M'here  shall  I  go  then  ?  "  Paganism  could  not  answer,  and 
he  died  agonizing  under  the  inquirj^,  "  A\"here  shall  I  go  last 
of  all  ?  " 

THE   DEVIL    AND    RUM. 

The  natives  of  Western  Africa  regard  the  devil  as  the 
author  of  all  providence,  and  they  resort  to  many  supersti- 
tious observances  to  conciliate  his  favor.  Particularly, 
they  never  open  trade  on  board  of  a  ship,  without  pouring 
a  libation  of  rum  into  the  water,  as  a  portion  wliich  they 
believe  the  devil  is  particularly  pleased  with.  — Hiss.  Her., 
June,  1834. 

ADMOlSriTION  TO  THE  CHURCH. 

Those  who  shrink  from  missionary  labor  in  circumstances 
that  peril  health  and  life,  should  consider  what  perils  and 
deaths  are  encountered  in  the  pursuits  of  history  and  science 
merely.  In  the  space  of  less  than  forty  years  no  less  than 
seventeen  separate  expeditions  were  sent  from  Europe,  with 
their  principal  object  to  ascertain  the  course  and  termination 
of  the  Niger.  Eleven  of  the  leaders  of  these  expeditions,  and 
eight  other  gentlemen  of  education  who  accompanied  them, 
besides  some  scores  of  their  attendants,  sacrificed  their 
lives  to  the  enterprise.  And  the  greatest  minds  in  Europe 
deemed  the  object  worthy  of  all  it  had  cost  ;  and  when  the 
Landers  proclaimed  the  work  accomplished,  the  world  ad- 
mired and  praised  the  devoted  enthusiasm  of  all  these 
martyrs  to  the  spirit  of  geographical  research.  Let  the 
sons  of  the  church  be  rebuked,  who  dare  not  go  to  save  the 
souls  of  men  where  so  many  have  cheerfully  gone  to  solve 
a  problem  in  geography.  —  Miss.  Her.,  Jan.,  1836. 

THE  CAFFEE  AKD   THE  BISHOP. 

In  1856,  Right  Rev.  John  Armstrong,  of  the  "  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  "  (London),  stationed  at 
Grahamstown,  South  Africa,  made  a  missionary  tour,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  met  with  a  company  of  CaflTres,  when 
the  following  incident  occurred:  "As  the  whole  party  lay 
stretched  along  the  ground  by  the  fire,  the  conversation 
turned  on  war.  One  of  the  j^oung  men,  in  a  thoughtful 
kind   of  way,   put  a  decidedly  puzzling  question.     '  You 


354  MISCELLANEOUS    FACTS   AND    NARRATIVES. 

missionaries/ ho  said,  'are  always  preaching  against  war, 
and  telling  us  to  listen  to  you.  Now,  why  do  not  the  Eng- 
lish listen  to  you  themselves,  and  give  up  war  ?  '  Then, 
after  musing  with  himself,  he  said,  '  lie  wished  the  mis- 
sionaries had  a  river  of  their  own,  and  then  he  would  go 
and  live  with  them  apart  from  the  English  and  the  Cafires, 
who  love  fighting.'  The  river,  the  missionaries,  and  peace 
—  such  was  this  poor  native's  ideal;  and  yet,  how  often 
have  1  been  told  that  the  Caffres  are  a  hopeless  race  I"  — 
Notes  from  South  Africa,  p.  49. 

THE  HEABER  WITH   HIS    BASKET  OP  IDOLS. 

We  read  of  men,  in  the  days  of  the  prophets,  who  "wor- 
shipped the  Lord,  and  served  their  own  gods  ;  "  and  it  is 
likely  that  in  all  times  there  are  some  who  bring  their  idols 
into  God's  presence,  with  a  cool  impudence,  of  which  the 
following  is  but  a  fair  illustration.  The  incident  occurred 
in  China.  The  missionary  was  speaking  in  the  Chinese, 
from  the  text,  "Who  hath  hardened  himself  against  Ilim 
and  hath  prospered  ?  "  One  of  the  ways  pointed  out,  of 
hardening  themselves  against  God,  was  the  worship  of 
idols.  Just  as  the  missionary  was  speaking  of  this  way,  a 
man  came  into  the  court  where  he  was  i:)reaching,  with  two 
lai'ge  baskets,  suspended  with  ropes  from  the  ends  of  a 
bamboo  yoke  which  lay  across  his  shoulders  ;  and  these 
baskets  wevefuU  of  little  idols !  Yes,  there  was  a  man  with 
two  baskets  full  of  idols,  listening  to  a  preacher  of  the 
Gospel  who  was  saying  that  those  who  worshipped  such 
things  hardened  themselves  against  God  ;  and  yet  he  was 
as  unconcerned  as  if  the  truth  had  no  application  to  him. 
On  being  invited  to  set  down  his  baskets  outside  the  court, 
and  take  a  seat  with  the  other  people  present,  he  did  so, 
and  listened  attentively  to  the  end  of  the  services.  He 
then  took  up  his  baskets  of  idols  again,  and  went  on  his 
way,  —  a  good  representation  of  those  who  hear  the  Gospel 
with  their  idol  sins  close  at  hand,  ready  to  hasten  to  them 
as  soon  as  the  services  are  over.  It  is  a  good  sign  when  a 
hearer  is  enough  aAvake  to  feel  that  the  preacher  means  Jam  ; 
and  all  the  better  if  he  takes  fright  at  the  idea  that  his  gods 
are  aimed  at. 

AN  ANCIENT  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

Mr.  Perkins,  of  the  Nestorian  mission,  relates  that  while 
at  Bilee  jai,  a  village  of  fifty  families,  the  priest  brought  to 


THE   GOLD    MINE    OF   INDIA.  355 

him  and  his  companion,  Mr.  Stocking,  a  beautiful  copy  of 
the  New  Testament,  written  on  parchment,  dating  back  six 
hundred  and  eight  years.  Mr.  Perkins  adds,  "This  is 
about  the  date  of  all  the  parchment  copies  of  the  Scriptures 
that  we  have  seen  among  the  Nestorians.  Like  all  their 
manuscript  copies,  it  had  not  the  book  of  Revelation,  nor 
the  two  last  epistles  of  John,  nor  the  epistle  of  Jude,  nor 
the  account  of  the  woman  taken  in  adultery.  We  were 
surprised  to  find  in  it  a  very  good  table  of  a  harmony  of  the 
Gospels,  the  divisions  being  marked  (not,  of  course,  in 
chapter  and  verse)  by  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  and  tliese 
letters  marking  corresponding  subjects,  arranged  horizon- 
tally in  four  columns,  the  name  of  each  evangelist  being  at 
the  head  of  his  respective  column.  This  was  an  effort  at 
biblical  classification  and  simplification  worthy  of  note, 
when  Ave  think  of  its  origin,  among  the  cliff's  of  the  Koor 
dish  mountains,  more  than  six  hundred  years  ago."  This 
New  Testament,  Mr.  Perkins  says,  is  greatly  valued  and 
reverenced  by  the  people  of  the  village.  Money  would  not 
purchase  it.  They  say,  "  It  is  our  treasure."  —  Miss.  Her., 
1850,  p.  91. 

A  SHARP    REPROOF. 

A  heathen,  in  India,  upon  hearing  a  European  read 
some  chapters  of  the  Gospels,  which  he  highly  approved, 
eagerly  inquired,  "  Are  these  really  your  shasters  ?  "  Be- 
ing assured  that  they  were,  he  added,  "  Why  did  you  not 
let  us  have  them  long  ago  ?  You  always  had  access  to  our 
shasters,  why  then  did  you  keep  back  yours?"  —  Evan. 
Mag.,  vol.  xxvi.,  p.  473. 

THE  GOLD    MINE   OF  INDIA. 

While  a  body  of  Baptist  clergymen  were  deliberating,  at 
Keltering,  Eng.,  in  179.3,  about  a  mission  to  India,  Rev. 
Wm.  Carey  was  asked  whether  he  would  accompany  to  that 
country  a  Mr.  Thomas,  who  had  been  there  as  surgeon  in 
the  army,  and  who  was  desirous  of  returning  as  a  mission- 
ary. He  answered  in  the  alBrmativc  ;  and,  while  the}"- 
Avero  deliberating,  Mr.  Thomas  himself,  whom  Mr.  Carey 
had  never  seen,  entered  the  room.  Mr.  Carey  hastily  rose, 
and  they  fell  on  each  other's  necks  and  wept.  Rev.  An- 
drew Fuller,  who  was  one  of  the  company,  afterwards 
wrote,  "  From  Mr.  Thomas's  account,  we  saw  there  was  a 
gold  mine  in   India,  but  it  seemed  almost  as  deep  as  the 


356  MISCELLANEOUS   FACTS    AND    NARRATIVES. 

centre  of  the  earth,  and  the  question  was  asked,  '  Who 
wouUl  venture  to  explore  it?'  —  'I  will  go  down,'  said 
Mr.  Carey  to  his  brethren,  'but  remember  that  you  must 
hold  the  roiDGs.'  —  We  solemnly  engaged  to  do  so,  nor 
while  we  live  will  we  desert  him."  —  Bist.  of  Eng.  Baptist 
Miss.  Soc,  vol.  I.,  p.  20. 

AN  UNSELFISH  RELIGION. 

At  a  meeting  of  Baptist  clergymen,  held  at  Keltering, 
Eiig.,  Oct.,  1792,  after  resolving  "  to  act  together  in  society 
for  the  purpose  of  propagating  the  Gospel  among  the 
heathen,"  and  adopting  the  name  of  "  The  Particular  Bap- 
tist Society,"  an  address  was  with  perfect  unanimit}'^  agreed 
upon,  and  widely  circulated,  in  which  they  say,  "Though 
this  society  honestly  acknowledged  that  its  founders  were 
of  the  Particular  Baptist  persuasion,  we  are  sure  it  was  not 
the  interest  of  a  party  they  wished  to  promote,  but  the 
gloiy  of  our  divine  Lord,  and  the  salvation  of  immortal 
suuls.  Hence  it  was  proposed  at  first,  if  no  opening  was 
found  for  a  Baptist  mission,  to  have  requested  the  Presby- 
terian and  Moravian  brethren,  who  had  already  been  em- 
ployed in  laboring  among  the  heathen,  to  accept  some 
assistance  from  our  subscriptions  ;  for,  by  the  leave  of  the 
God  of  heaven,  we  were  determined  to  do  something 
towards  propagating  his  Gospel  in  heathen  lands." 

This  spirit  was  worthy  of  the  unselfish  religion  of  the 
cross,  and  worthy  of  Carey,  and  Fuller,  and  Ryland,  and 
Sutclifif,  those  early  projectors  of  what  has  since  become 
one  of  the  most  powerful  and  efficient  missionary  organiza- 
tions in  the  world.  — Hist,  of  Bap.  Miss.  Soc,  vol.  i.,  p.  4. 

SAD  MEMOEIAL. 

Rev.  Mr.  Mason,  American  Baptist  missionary  in  Bur- 
mah,  in  one  of  his  journals,  makes  the  following  mournful 
reflection  :  "  How  many  good  brethren  and  sisters  have 
found  premature  graves  in  these  burning  climes  since  the 
sunny  day  that  IVIrs.  Mason  and  myself  passed  up  the 
llooghly  !  The  thought  refuses  to  come  without  a  tear. 
There  they  sleep  !  one  beneath  the  fragrant-flowered  mesua, 
another  beneath  the  fan-leaved  palm,  and  a  third  among  the 
tall  grass,  that  moans  a  requiem  in  the  wind,  like  the  soft 
tones  of  an  Eolian  harp.  There  is  scarce!}'  a  '  river  un- 
known to  song,'  throughout  the  wide-spread  realms  of 
India,  whose  banks  are  not  consecrated  by  the  bones  of 


A    PLEASING    TESTIMONY.  357 

Bome  devoted  missionary."  Sad  as  this  reflection  is,  it  is 
yet  a  bright  record  in  behalf  of  the  Gospel  and  its  devoted 
sen'ants,  whose  feet  have  pressed  the  soil  of  every  clime, 
and  who  have  braved  perils  that  W'Ould  have  appalled  the 
heart  of  any  but  a  Christian  missionary.  — Am.  Bap.  Mag., 

1843,  p.  282. 

CONSERVATISM   OF  A  ZULU. 

The  following'  conservative  and  decisive  appeal  was  made 
to  Mr.  Grout,  missionary  of  the  American  Board,  by  a 
Zulu,  South  Africa  :  "  See  what  your  religion  costs  you. 
Yon  must  buy  clothes  to  wear,  which  are  only  an  impedi- 
ment to  all  action,  and  buy  soap  to  wash  them,  and  thread 
and  needles  to  patch  and  mend  them.  You  must  be  always 
building  upright  houses,  which  are  cold  and  uncomfortable, 
and  must  buy  dishes  to  cat  in  ;  must  work  in  the  garden, 
just  like  a  woman.  And  then  perhaps  you  must  be  hungry, 
and  waste  much  time  in  going  to  meeting  and  learning  to 
read.  But  we  live  in  idleness,  which  is  both  agreeable  and 
manly.  Our  wives  dig  the  gardens.  Our  houses  are  warm. 
With  our  money  we  buy  cattle,  which  give  us  food  and 
rejoice  our  eyes,  instead  of  buying  clothes,  which  soon 
Avear  out,  and  are  only  in  the  way  while  they  last.  And, 
instead  of  going  to  read  and  to  worship,  we  go  to  hunt  and 
to  dance  ;  and  we  lie  basking  in  the  sun,  and  take  snuif, 
and  smoke  our  pipes,  and  drink  beer,  and  do  many  other 
things." — Report  of  Am.  Board,  1853,  p.  48. 

A  PLEASING   TESTIMONY. 

In  the  annual  report  of  the  English   Baptist  Society  for 

1844,  a  missionary  in  Calcutta  is  heard  saying,  "  Next  Sab- 
bath I  expect  to  be  at  Serampore,  where  a  Carey  and  a 
Marshman  found  refuge,  not  from  native  violence,  but  from 
Englishmen  bearing  the  name  of  Christians  ;  where  a  JNIar- 
tyn,  a  Brown,  and  a  Buchanan,  contemplated  India's  wel- 
fare ;  where  a  Chamberlain,  a  Judson,  and  a  Newell,  found 
Christian  hospitality,  and  were  refreshed.  The  spirit  that 
animated  them,  still  remains ;  we  are  all  one  here  ;  we  can- 
not afford  to  be  jealous  ;  the  common  foe  is  too  strong  ;  and 
the  missionaries  are  bound  together,  neither  by  creeds  nor 
human  ties,  but  by  the  fear  of  God  and  the  love  of  Jesus." 

We  admire  this  noble  instance  of  charity  and  love  ;  such 
a  spirit  is  e.-isenlial,  we  think,  on  heathen  ground  ;  but  can 
ministers  in  Christianized  America  or  England,  any  better 


358  MISCELLANEOUS    FACTS    AND    NARRATIVES. 

"afford  to  be  jealous,"  encompassed  as  thej^  are  with  mam- 
mon-worshippers, dead  formalists,  and  carping*  infidels  ? 
The  lesson  which  these  missionaries  teach  is  of  universal 
importance,  and  should  become  the  settled  rule  and  policy 
with  Christians  of  all  denominations,  in  all  lands. 

A  CHRISTIAN'S  KETOET. 

A  native  Burman  preacher,  named  Ko  Shwai,  having 
attracted  considerable  attention  by  his  bold  utterances  of 
truth,  was  summoned  into  the  presence  of  the  governor, 
and  asked,  "  Do  you  worship  the  foreigner's  God  ?  "  His 
reply,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  court,  was  noble  :  "Do 
you  call  that  sun  a  Burman  show  or  foreigner's  sun  ?  So 
of  the  eternal  God,"  &c.  Not  unfrequently  he  was  abused 
and  insulted,  but  he  never  resented.  As  he  sat  one  day, 
preaching,  a  passer-by  threw  a  club  or  stone,  and  hit  him. 
"  May  the  most  excellent  blessing  be  upon  you!  "  was  his 
only  answer. — Am.  Bap.  3Iag.,  1843,  p.  8. 


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